How to organize and fund free culture projects

Kevin ShockeyFounder, Mis Tribus

Section 1.01

What?

Free culture projects often fail due to a lack of resources.

So What?

By focusing on raising funds,a project can increase its' chances

of survival

Why me?

Freedom is not free!(How many ways can you relate?)

Why now?● Declining interest in FLOSS● Lack of unity, more division● FLOSS success is taken for granted● Increased willingness to compromise● Lingering confusion surrounding free software

Disclaimer

I'm not pretending to tell anyone what to do,I'm sharing my interpretation.

My story.(Your mileage may vary...)

So far...● Funding Free Culture:

● Blog: FundingFreeCulture.MisTribus.com● @ffc_2012● Tumblr: FundingFreeCulture.Tumblr.com

● One Blogger post triggers:● 3 Automated tweets on 3 different accounts● Updated Linked In● Updated Finding Free Culture Page on Facebook

1.Assumptions● Free Culture● Project Execution● Project Funding

Free Culture Assumptions● Free culture projects often fail● People assume FLOSS's success is

guaranteed● Diversity and division make free culture weaker

State of FLOSS?● Four stages of Maturity:

● Emergent● Growth● Mature● Declining

● Projects in emergent, growth, & maturity stages

State of FLOSS is mixed● Enterprise recognition● Limited user recognition/support● Participation is declining● Finances (resources) are limited (often to just

one person)

Top 10 FLOSS Hall of Fame (need reference, 2011)

● Linux Kernel● GNU Utilities & Compilers● Ubuntu● BSD● Samba

Top 10 FLOSS Hall of Fame● MySQL● BIND● SendMail● OpenSSH & OpenSSL● Apache

Search is relative● Search is a simulation;

● By measuring “reality” we affect reality● It is a proxy,

– We humanely can not understand the math involved– Artificial intelligence

What SEO Tells Us● General trends for mature projects

What SEO Tells Us● General trends for emerging projects

What Else?● Niche groups who are content with scratching

their own itch● Dogmatic approach to community

● Financial support (donations, purchases, memberships) is lacking

● Large difference between public relationship strategies● Most successful projects use modern strategies

Project Execution Assumptions● Organizing a FLOSS project has changed.● FLOSS projects are similar to startups● Execution is achieved through testing

assumptions

Project Funding Assumptions● Our software (product) is sufficient to obtain

resources● There is an over abundance of data

● Varying levels of “information”● Increasingly interact with more artificially

intelligent systems

State of FLOSS● Build Measure Learn or Your Competition Will

● Irrelevance is your enemy● Free Beer will NOT fuel your projects

● In need of unity of purpose ● In favor of software freedoms● In favor of asking for help

Build Measure Learn

Free LOSS

Freedom is not free!

References● Kawasaki, G. (2012). Raising Money: What Not to Say and

What Not to Believe. http://mstrb.us/zfhxIl● Dvorak, J.C. (2009). The State of Open Source on Firefox's

Fifth Birthday. http://mstrb.us/yF7CF3● Ries, E. (2011). The Lean Startup.● Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Annual Report for The Apache Software

Foundation. http://mstrb.us/AzdrN2● Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Annual Report for The Apache Software

Foundation. http://mstrb.us/yLiEIy● Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Annual Report for The Apache Software

Foundation. http://mstrb.us/x8VKbv

References● Fiscal Year 2007-2008 Annual Report for The Apache Software

Foundation. http://mstrb.us/xvGSe4● Fiscal Year 2006-2007 Annual Report for The Apache Software

Foundation. http://mstrb.us/y63WzT● Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Annual Report for The Apache Software

Foundation. http://mstrb.us/yNAbTE● Fiscal Year 2002-2003 Annual Report for The Apache Software

Foundation. http://mstrb.us/wyCvAe● Fiscal Year 2001-2002 Annual Report for The Apache Software

Foundation. http://mstrb.us/wRRw6w● 2010 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.

http://mstrb.us/yLAmX7

References● 2009 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.

http://mstrb.us/yOyW0n● 2008 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.

http://mstrb.us/xLdf1Y● 2007 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.

http://mstrb.us/xP1jqj● 2006 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.

http://mstrb.us/wDJDOV● 2005 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.

http://mstrb.us/yzTktK● 2004 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation.

http://mstrb.us/zMnI1u

References

● 2003 IRS Form 990 for the Mozilla Foundation. http://mstrb.us/wDpQeo

● Perens, B. (2008). State of Open Source Message: A New Decade For Open Source. http://mstrb.us/zre7oP

● Perens, B. (2005). The Emerging Economic Paradigm of Open Source. http://mstrb.us/xVlTXC

● Perens, B. The Covenant - A New Approach to Open Source Cooperation. http://mstrb.us/ybrmfO

● FSF 2011 Audited Financial Statement. http://mstrb.us/zCy7VT

References

● FSF 2010 filing information. http://mstrb.us/x2Rumq● FSF 2009 Audited Financial Statement. http://mstrb.us/zyoFHX

● FSF 2008 filing information.

http://mstrb.us/xtBZi1● FSF 2007 filing information.

http://mstrb.us/zbSp0Q● FSF 2006 filing information.

http://mstrb.us/xzNEzS● FSF 2006 filing information. http://mstrb.us/yTjZuR

References● FSF 2005 filing information. http://mstrb.us/xCUQeQ● FSF 2004 filing information.http://mstrb.us/zwOlhl ● GNOME Foundation Detailed Financial Plan 2011.

http://mstrb.us/zxoI4N● GNOME Foundation Detailed Financial Plan 2010.

http://mstrb.us/A0jA2g● GNOME Budget 2009. http://mstrb.us/zdFT0B● GNOME Foundation Financial Statement for Fiscal Year 2007.

http://mstrb.us/Aw7sGN

References● GNOME Foundation – Fiscal Year 2005 – Balance Summary.

http://mstrb.us/wP8h59● GNOME Foundation Financial Statement for Fiscal Year 2004.

http://mstrb.us/wxQVGB● GNOME Foundation Financial Statement for Fiscal Year 2003.

http://mstrb.us/xoFnzh● Sourceforge.net. (2012). Developer Counts – The Stats.

http://mstrb.us/xmAWfu● Browser Market Share. (2009). http://mstrb.us/znr3Iy● Wheeler., D. (2007). Why Open Source Software / Free

Software (OSS/FS, FLOSS, or FOSS)? Look at the Numbers! http://mstrb.us/xBkuQP

● Browser Market Share. (2111). http://mstrb.us/znr3Iy