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Ask HN: SaaS startup with open sourcing the code?

6 points by KingOfCoders ↗ HN
Hello HNers, after several startups I'm planning a startup were the code is open source and developed (also) by the users of the startup.

How would you do this? AGPL? What would be your concerns?

Thanks for any input from the community, especially if you have done that before.

7 comments

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gdiocarez
I have seen a similar process on some open-source blockchain projects where they just award people who fix issues within the code.
verdverm
A restrictive license will restrict adoption. Don't expect much help until there is traction
KingOfCoders
What do you mean with adoption?
verdverm
It means companies will not let their employees use software licensed with restrictive or uncommon licenses, even if free, they are automatically red flagged. So you immediately eliminate a large and profitable segment users.
techjuice
Having a SaaS with open source code is possible, but probably best to consult with an attorney to insure the license being used is going to match up with your business plans.
zzo38computer
You could use AGPL and offer an additional commercial license, which is what Artifex does with Ghostscript.