Product Strategy for Open-Source Software

My strategy centers on an 'Open Core' model, similar to how Red Hat succeeded before IBM acquired them. The foundation is a fully functional, permissively licensed core that solves the immediate needs of developers and small teams, fostering rapid adoption and a vibrant ecosystem. This ensures the project remains the de facto standard in its domain. Revenue is generated by layering proprietary, high-value features on top that are critical for large enterprises but less relevant to individual contributors. These include granular role-based access control, audit logging for compliance, SSO integration, and guaranteed SLAs. Additionally, we would offer managed infrastructure services on IBM Cloud, allowing customers to run the software without operational overhead. To sustain development, we would also introduce a tiered support model and certified training programs. Crucially, I would establish a transparent governance council including community leaders to decide feature prioritization, ensuring the open source version never feels artificially crippled. By measuring success through both community commit rates and enterprise contract renewals, we create a sustainable flywheel where the open source version drives market share, and the enterprise layer funds deep innovation.