Open source isn’t just about free software, it’s a business strategy disguised as generosity. The biggest companies in tech have built empires on this playbook: #### 1. Give Away the Core, Sell the Edge Red Hat made billions supporting free Linux. Databricks built a powerhouse on Apache Spark. The secret? Offer the foundation for free, monetize what comes next. #### 2. Turn Users into Builder Open source is a movement. More users mean more contributors, which means faster innovation. That’s why PyTorch, PostgreSQL, and Kubernetes dominate. #### 3. Make Adoption a No-Brainer Startups love open source because there’s no vendor lock-in. Enterprises trust it because the best minds in the world are constantly improving it. The Bottom Line: Open source isn’t charity, it’s a power move. The smartest companies know that sometimes the best way to win is to give it away. [[Why Giving Away Business Models is Genius]]