I've been watching this discussion with interest and a little bit of
trepidation. Before March, I hadn't known much about OSAF; since then
I've been deeply impressed by the work you are doing. As such a
newcomer to the community, however, I'm nervous about speaking out.
Perhaps I don't understand the issues involved; after all, I'm still
largely an outsider. That said, as I've watched the discussion
evolve, it seems like there is a lot of focus around what to do with
Chandler - and all of it seems based on the assumption that when the
current round of funding runs out, it's "game over" for OSAF. This
defeatism is somewhat surprising, because when I look at OSAF I see
great potential. I wonder why there isn't more talk on how to
eliminate that deadline that is hanging over your heads. Why not
discuss ways of getting *more* funding, or how to turn your product
into something which generates a revenue stream? Why not consider
some hard decisions that might enable you to streamline your process
and organization? Why not set aside the software for the moment and
take a good hard look at the other issues that surround *any*
development effort, whether it be open source or closed, commercial
or non-profit?
Chandler is innovative. There is nothing like it out there right now.
It is the only piece of software that comes close to working the way
I work. I have *never* been as organized as I've become since using
Chandler, and your vision of what Chandler could be fires my
imagination. Great! You've got the hardest part done - creating
something new and wonderful that people want to use. I hope that you
haven't burned up your passion in that creation, because the next
step is to get other people (yes, people with money) to believe in
that software, too.
I can't say I understand the thoughts that led to the decision of
ending your funding at the end of 2008. What I can say is that from
where I stand it looks like an opportunity to rethink your process,
refine your organization, and create a sustainable business model to
support the innovations you have worked so hard to create.
Here are some suggestions:
1) Phillip Eby wrote on much the same subject today. He says
"Confusing 'users' with 'revenue' is a mistake." Listen closely, I
couldn't have said it better.
2) Focusing on revenue is not necessarily evil. You do not have to
abandon your values in order to make money.
3) Take a metaphorical step back and a not-so-metaphorical deep
breath. You've all been coding, or managing coders, full-steam for
years. You needed that focus to get Preview out the door, but what
you need now is a wider perspective.
4) Try to remember why you love being OSAF. Many of you probably feel
a little burned-out right now and need to re-kindle the passion that
led you to join this effort in the first place.
Anyway, I hope I don't seem too presumptuous, and would be happy to
lend whatever skills I have to helping OSAF tackle the challenges it
faces now. I hope that there is more optimism in OSAF than I've felt
through reading this discussion, and I hope that I've been able to
add some outside perspective. I believe that you have a powerful vision.
Regards,
Paul Lathrop
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