The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source The war for the soul of open source (Interview)
Jul 16, 2019
Adam Jacob, co-founder of Chef, dives into the pivotal issues surrounding open source. He reflects on its original greatness and the challenges that have emerged, including the pitfalls of open core models and sustainability. The conversation also explores the tensions between commercial interests and community values, emphasizing the need for genuine collaboration. With personal anecdotes and insights from the tech leadership landscape, Adam advocates for aligning open source endeavors with inclusive ideals and community engagement.
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Chef's Journey
- Chef, co-founded by Adam Jacob, began as a consulting company and evolved into a SaaS and on-prem software provider.
- They recently open-sourced everything, focusing on a distribution model like Red Hat, which has yielded positive early results.
Cookie Monsters of Open Source
- Adam Jacob compares managing an open-source project to dealing with "cookie monsters," each with unique, strong desires.
- These "cookie monsters" represent different stakeholders with varying priorities, making it challenging to satisfy everyone.
Existential Crisis about Open Source
- Adam Jacob's decision to leave Chef stemmed from a realization that he no longer enjoyed managing others' expectations.
- This existential crisis led him to rethink his relationship with open source and its community dynamics.