Opensource in context of product and platform/technology

Yesterday We discussed product and technology and their relationship and constraints. Considering open-source as process for developing products might be suboptimal since it might put harder constraints, you might have to give up on other approaches. If open-source is the process for a product, it gives rise to tension between product and technology needs which might end if one giving in or both have to compromise.

Open-source works great for technology development as it lays good foundation for composable systems, offers vast learning avenues for developers and becoming contributors. It also provides a bedrock for experimentation for different approaches a product can take. It helps in building key aspect of products which is "what to build"

Nowadays, open-source projects have logos, cool names, dedicated conferences, which can make us think of them as products, but it is important to understand that they are technologies.

Therefore, a successful product understands the line between products and technologies enabling the products.