By running a service - a lot of software today isn't valuable because of the product, but because of the service it provides. Facebook, Twitter or Drobox software is not particularly difficult to clone - many companies built clones. What sets the popular sites apart from clones is the service they provide (community, reach, availability, easy access). I guess that's one of the failures of G+ - the software was there, but the service wasn't.
Our code is in the open[1], and anyone could install it and run it, but there is a convenient web site[2] out there that lets people get the service easily without bothering with an install. We make money from subscription fees for higher capacity.
This is how I envisage what I would call "public facing" (websites etc) open source projects making money. Do you think this idea of trying to provide the best form of service translates to applications, through regular updates and support for users?
I enjoyed tinkering with this and thought it was cool. I've never used a mind mapper before. What sort of customers pay for something like this? Just curious.
[+] [-] adzicg|11 years ago|reply
Our code is in the open[1], and anyone could install it and run it, but there is a convenient web site[2] out there that lets people get the service easily without bothering with an install. We make money from subscription fees for higher capacity.
[1] - http://github.com/mindmup
[2] - http://www.mindmup.com
[+] [-] hunt|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] alphagenerator|11 years ago|reply