Understanding Open Source Economics
Open source doesn't mean free to develop. Companies need sustainable business models to support their open source work.
Model 1: Dual Licensing
Offer a free open source version and a paid enterprise version with extra features. MongoDB and Redis have used this model successfully.
Model 2: SaaS Offering
Provide a hosted, managed version of your open source project. This is how companies like Elastic, Confluent, and GitLab monetize.
Model 3: Support and Consulting
Offer paid support, consulting, and training. Red Hat is the classic example here.