Ask HN: Should I kill my open source project for a 5 figure sum?
The short version: late last year I open sourced the code I use for creating real estate websites and now a company is offering me $10,000 to effectively kill it. How do I calculate if its a good offer or not?
The longer version: These guys got in touch with me a month ago saying that they wanted to work with me on the project but strongly suggested that I make it closed source. I make it quite clear that I wanted to keep it open.
We've exchanged a few friendly emails since then and last week they sent me an email offering to pay me $10,000 to close down the project on github and pass ownership of the code to them.
I think they made this offer primarily because they realised I was working on MLS / RETS integration and I was going to make that part open source as well. One of the conditions they have made is that I do not compete against them in the MLS / RETS integration space.
Its all a bit baffling to me and I don't think I'm going to accept it but just thought I might as well share here to hear what people think.
I haven't really got a good way of calculating the value of my project but my gut instinct tells me that in the longer term (3 years +) I will be able to figure out a way to make some money out of it.
17 comments
That number is much too low. Ask them for $50k and see what they say.
Also, can you send me the name of your project? I'm really curious about it, as I recently got an offer to do some work integrating MLS with another system.
Also, can you send me the name of your project? I'm really curious about it, as I recently got an offer to do some work integrating MLS with another system.
Of course I tried asking for more - I'm not completely dumb ;)
The project is called PropertyWebBuilder
The project is called PropertyWebBuilder
I'm afraid I can't provide a realistic answer to your question, only my encouragement to keep things open.
Nevertheless, I am tangentially curious: once a project already is open source, can it be realistically (legally) closed up again?
Envision the following scenario: I'm just going to clone your project now, as it is - open source - on my machine. You might close it later, transfer ownership, etc. Am I not holding a legally valid open source pile of code, regardless of what Company X decided to do later?
Nevertheless, I am tangentially curious: once a project already is open source, can it be realistically (legally) closed up again?
Envision the following scenario: I'm just going to clone your project now, as it is - open source - on my machine. You might close it later, transfer ownership, etc. Am I not holding a legally valid open source pile of code, regardless of what Company X decided to do later?
No, they can't stop anyone else from carrying on with the project. It hasn't had much take-up so far though. A few people have starred it and forked it but hardly anyone has contributed to it. I think what they are most concerned about is the MLS integration piece I'm working on at the moment which is not yet complete.
I understand now. Thanks for clarifying :)
As a little side note - possibly helpful if you are willing to invest more time in this project in the long term: I've had some discussions long time ago with people from wikihouse [1], and am still struggling with similar issues with my own adventures (academic research sponsored by an industry network). The model wikihouse adopted was that everyone has a seat at the table, but nobody owns the table itself (or the chairs).
It can be simplistically simmered down to: If this is a core feature that will allow your project to expand and make it relevant to a wider audience, considering labelling this as a "core feature" and insist on it being part of the open source project. They could sponsor it and/or have direct support of the developer and/or "first adopter" privileges but the code will fold back in the public branch after a given time. It would help if you had another company expressing interest (maybe just ask).
Good luck with your endeavours!
[1] https://wikihouse.cc/
As a little side note - possibly helpful if you are willing to invest more time in this project in the long term: I've had some discussions long time ago with people from wikihouse [1], and am still struggling with similar issues with my own adventures (academic research sponsored by an industry network). The model wikihouse adopted was that everyone has a seat at the table, but nobody owns the table itself (or the chairs).
It can be simplistically simmered down to: If this is a core feature that will allow your project to expand and make it relevant to a wider audience, considering labelling this as a "core feature" and insist on it being part of the open source project. They could sponsor it and/or have direct support of the developer and/or "first adopter" privileges but the code will fold back in the public branch after a given time. It would help if you had another company expressing interest (maybe just ask).
Good luck with your endeavours!
[1] https://wikihouse.cc/
Wow, wikihouse is pretty awesome!
Yeah, the idea of core features being open source makes sense. What I'm aiming for is that PropertyWebBuilder becomes something like WordPress for the real estate sector - a base on which value-added functionality can be built. That extra functionality can be commercial but I want to core product to remain free.
Yeah, the idea of core features being open source makes sense. What I'm aiming for is that PropertyWebBuilder becomes something like WordPress for the real estate sector - a base on which value-added functionality can be built. That extra functionality can be commercial but I want to core product to remain free.
Okay, I will assume:
1. You are unlikely to make more than $10k
2. If you do make some money off it, it will be much more than $10k
That is to say, there is a 90% chance of making $0 and a 10% chance of making 100s of thousands.
In this case, it is worth more than $10k from an expected value perspective.
The value of the product might be much greater for the community, and you might get speaking gigs and so on out of it. Not sure how much you value those.
If you don't need the money, I would not take it.
If you do need the money, who am I to tell you what to do?
1. You are unlikely to make more than $10k
2. If you do make some money off it, it will be much more than $10k
That is to say, there is a 90% chance of making $0 and a 10% chance of making 100s of thousands.
In this case, it is worth more than $10k from an expected value perspective.
The value of the product might be much greater for the community, and you might get speaking gigs and so on out of it. Not sure how much you value those.
If you don't need the money, I would not take it.
If you do need the money, who am I to tell you what to do?
"a 10% chance of making 100s of thousands" - I wish / hope ;)
I don't desperately need the money right now. I'm more attracted by the idea of a good base from which I can draw a steady income over the years. I've been quite surprised at how much effort is involved in maintaining an open source project though.
Its fun but its also quite tempting when an offer comes along. Would be interesting to know if there have been other projects that have shut down after an offer was made.
I don't desperately need the money right now. I'm more attracted by the idea of a good base from which I can draw a steady income over the years. I've been quite surprised at how much effort is involved in maintaining an open source project though.
Its fun but its also quite tempting when an offer comes along. Would be interesting to know if there have been other projects that have shut down after an offer was made.
These guys have given you excellent market information. The piece of your project with value is the mls integration you are about to write. I think you should continue working on the open source part and keep the mls plugin closed source and sell the plugin for the mls integration to the realtors. imo this plugin will be worth more than $10k and the guys contacting you know that.
If you are thinking in terms of money you probably won't make more than the offer so I would take it. Previous versions were released already under an open license. Take the money and take down the code and give us all time to fork it.
Of course, I should have posted the link to the project:
https://github.com/etewiah/property_web_builder
https://github.com/etewiah/property_web_builder
Thanks - I've forked it.
The 10k is now pretty much a moot point: if your original repo vanishes, there will still be forks of the project on Github.
Makes me wonder if they actually know how open source works?
The 10k is now pretty much a moot point: if your original repo vanishes, there will still be forks of the project on Github.
Makes me wonder if they actually know how open source works?
What you could do now you have an obviously successful open source project, is to offer your services as an open source developer for hire, and see if they'll pay you to add new features to your software.
Though it kinda sounds like they're not going to be into that suggestion without quite some re-education.
Though it kinda sounds like they're not going to be into that suggestion without quite some re-education.
$10,000 is barely worth one man.month. If you spend more than that, then you should get more than that.
But then, independently on the time invested, your project may be worth millions of revenue a year. At the current rate of interest, (close to 0), you shouldn't sell it at less than a few billions!
Oh, and all of this is totally unrelated to the opensource aspect!
But then, independently on the time invested, your project may be worth millions of revenue a year. At the current rate of interest, (close to 0), you shouldn't sell it at less than a few billions!
Oh, and all of this is totally unrelated to the opensource aspect!
10K is not much.