How to organize and fund free culture projects Kevin Shockey Founder, Mis Tribus Section 1.01
Jun 29, 2015
How to organize and fund free culture projects
Kevin ShockeyFounder, Mis Tribus
Section 1.01
What?
Free culture projects often fail due to a lack of resources.
So What?
By focusing on raising funds,a project can increase its' chances
of survival
Why me?
Freedom is not free!(How many ways can you relate?)
Why now?● Declining interest in FLOSS● Lack of unity, more division● FLOSS success is taken for granted● Increased willingness to compromise● Lingering confusion surrounding free software
Disclaimer
I'm not pretending to tell anyone what to do,I'm sharing my interpretation.
My story.(Your mileage may vary...)
So far...● Funding Free Culture:
● Blog: FundingFreeCulture.MisTribus.com● @ffc_2012● Tumblr: FundingFreeCulture.Tumblr.com
● One Blogger post triggers:● 3 Automated tweets on 3 different accounts● Updated Linked In● Updated Finding Free Culture Page on Facebook
1.Assumptions● Free Culture● Project Execution● Project Funding
Free Culture Assumptions● Free culture projects often fail● People assume FLOSS's success is
guaranteed● Diversity and division make free culture weaker
State of FLOSS?● Four stages of Maturity:
● Emergent● Growth● Mature● Declining
● Projects in emergent, growth, & maturity stages
State of FLOSS is mixed● Enterprise recognition● Limited user recognition/support● Participation is declining● Finances (resources) are limited (often to just
one person)
Top 10 FLOSS Hall of Fame (need reference, 2011)
● Linux Kernel● GNU Utilities & Compilers● Ubuntu● BSD● Samba
Top 10 FLOSS Hall of Fame● MySQL● BIND● SendMail● OpenSSH & OpenSSL● Apache
Search is relative● Search is a simulation;
● By measuring “reality” we affect reality● It is a proxy,
– We humanely can not understand the math involved– Artificial intelligence
What SEO Tells Us● General trends for mature projects
What SEO Tells Us● General trends for emerging projects
What Else?● Niche groups who are content with scratching
their own itch● Dogmatic approach to community
● Financial support (donations, purchases, memberships) is lacking
● Large difference between public relationship strategies● Most successful projects use modern strategies
Project Execution Assumptions● Organizing a FLOSS project has changed.● FLOSS projects are similar to startups● Execution is achieved through testing
assumptions
Project Funding Assumptions● Our software (product) is sufficient to obtain
resources● There is an over abundance of data
● Varying levels of “information”● Increasingly interact with more artificially
intelligent systems
State of FLOSS● Build Measure Learn or Your Competition Will
● Irrelevance is your enemy● Free Beer will NOT fuel your projects
● In need of unity of purpose ● In favor of software freedoms● In favor of asking for help
Build Measure Learn
Free LOSS
Freedom is not free!
References● Kawasaki, G. (2012). Raising Money: What Not to Say and
What Not to Believe. http://mstrb.us/zfhxIl● Dvorak, J.C. (2009). The State of Open Source on Firefox's
Fifth Birthday. http://mstrb.us/yF7CF3● Ries, E. (2011). The Lean Startup.● Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Annual Report for The Apache Software
Foundation. http://mstrb.us/AzdrN2● Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Annual Report for The Apache Software
Foundation. http://mstrb.us/yLiEIy● Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Annual Report for The Apache Software
Foundation. http://mstrb.us/x8VKbv
References● Fiscal Year 2007-2008 Annual Report for The Apache Software
Foundation. http://mstrb.us/xvGSe4● Fiscal Year 2006-2007 Annual Report for The Apache Software
Foundation. http://mstrb.us/y63WzT● Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Annual Report for The Apache Software
Foundation. http://mstrb.us/yNAbTE● Fiscal Year 2002-2003 Annual Report for The Apache Software
Foundation. http://mstrb.us/wyCvAe● Fiscal Year 2001-2002 Annual Report for The Apache Software
Foundation. http://mstrb.us/wRRw6w● 2010 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.
http://mstrb.us/yLAmX7
References● 2009 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.
http://mstrb.us/yOyW0n● 2008 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.
http://mstrb.us/xLdf1Y● 2007 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.
http://mstrb.us/xP1jqj● 2006 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.
http://mstrb.us/wDJDOV● 2005 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.
http://mstrb.us/yzTktK● 2004 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.
http://mstrb.us/zMnI1u
References
● 2003 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation. http://mstrb.us/wDpQeo
● Perens, B. (2008). State of Open Source Message: A New Decade For Open Source. http://mstrb.us/zre7oP
● Perens, B. (2005). The Emerging Economic Paradigm of Open Source. http://mstrb.us/xVlTXC
● Perens, B. The Covenant - A New Approach to Open Source Cooperation. http://mstrb.us/ybrmfO
● FSF 2011 Audited Financial Statement. http://mstrb.us/zCy7VT
References
● FSF 2010 filing information. http://mstrb.us/x2Rumq● FSF 2009 Audited Financial Statement. http://mstrb.us/zyoFHX
● FSF 2008 filing information.
http://mstrb.us/xtBZi1● FSF 2007 filing information.
http://mstrb.us/zbSp0Q● FSF 2006 filing information.
http://mstrb.us/xzNEzS● FSF 2006 filing information. http://mstrb.us/yTjZuR
References● FSF 2005 filing information. http://mstrb.us/xCUQeQ● FSF 2004 filing information.http://mstrb.us/zwOlhl ● GNOME Foundation Detailed Financial Plan 2011.
http://mstrb.us/zxoI4N● GNOME Foundation Detailed Financial Plan 2010.
http://mstrb.us/A0jA2g● GNOME Budget 2009. http://mstrb.us/zdFT0B● GNOME Foundation Financial Statement for Fiscal Year 2007.
http://mstrb.us/Aw7sGN
References● GNOME Foundation – Fiscal Year 2005 – Balance Summary.
http://mstrb.us/wP8h59● GNOME Foundation Financial Statement for Fiscal Year 2004.
http://mstrb.us/wxQVGB● GNOME Foundation Financial Statement for Fiscal Year 2003.
http://mstrb.us/xoFnzh● Sourceforge.net. (2012). Developer Counts – The Stats.
http://mstrb.us/xmAWfu● Browser Market Share. (2009). http://mstrb.us/znr3Iy● Wheeler., D. (2007). Why Open Source Software / Free
Software (OSS/FS, FLOSS, or FOSS)? Look at the Numbers! http://mstrb.us/xBkuQP
● Browser Market Share. (2111). http://mstrb.us/znr3Iy