Ask HN: How to acquire any open source project?

[milanspeaks]

I am building something similar to Twilio but only for WhatsApp. For my Product, my target audience is software developer. Now as a developer, I personally hate any kind of marketing targeted to me.

So for my Product, I am thinking of acquiring few open source project in some kind of messaging space and improve it by adding resources to it.

I am not quite sure how acquisition happens for open source software.

[pabs3]

You can send an email to the owner offering payment in exchange for handing over the project. Usually they will laugh at you or think you are trying to scam them though.

[gus_massa]

I agree. A few projects has been sold and the new maintainer used the automatic update to install adware or other spammy stuff, so I also expect that most maintainer will get more suspicious than happy.

[verdverm]

Open source is typically not for sale.

You may have some success paying developers (a livable amount) to integrate your project

[pabs3]

Just fork it?

[jonahbenton]

Submit PRs