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Innovation Happens Elsewhere
Nochiel writes "What is open source and why should businesses care? Why is innovation important and why isn't our company innovative? Why does it seem like everyone else is innovating while we aren't? How can we leverage Open Source? How can we implement an Open Source business strategy?" Read on for Nochiel's review.
Innovation Happens Elsewhere: Open Source as Business Stratgy
author
Ron Goldman and Richard P. Gabriel
pages
377
publisher
Morgan Kaufmann Publishers
rating
8
reviewer
Nicholas Ochiel
ISBN
1558608893
summary
How to introduce open source into the enterprise as a viable and valuable business strategy.
This is a book about open source in the enterprise. It seeks to answer those questions and more. Finally, the Open Source Process has been codified in a manner that gives management the business perspective they have been yearning for.
Too often, Open Source come across as a religion. Ron Goldman and Richard Gabriel, through their sober treatment of the topic, successfully detail all the pragmatic aspects that a business should consider.
This book, to paraphrase the authors: ..is for anyone interested in a better understanding of open source--its larger history, its philosophy--, and its future prospects.
It is licensed under a Creative Commons License and is available at this link.
Chapter 1 presents the problem that the modern enterprise faces, namely: how to ensure high levels of innovation and productivity.
The reader is then introduced to the "innovation happens elsewhere" problem: High productivity requires doing less in order to produce more. This, in turn, necessitates being able to leverage other individuals'/companies' efforts. A company, therefore, has to recognize that there are more innovative forces outside the company than in it. By using these forces, a company can maintain a competitive edge. Open source is then presented as a solution to the problem.
The rest of the chapter opens the readers mind to the "new" new way of doing business., illustrates why open source is a viable business strategy and introduces the most important aspect of open source: community.
Chapter 2 discusses the "innovation happens elsewhere" dilemma in even more depth. The authors have a keen understanding on the power of the Commons and how it can make a difference.
In order to illustrate how the Commons can make a difference, the authors use the history of the Web as an example. They highlight the fact that it was built as a volunteer effort with no central planning and a small set of simple protocols. The growth of the internet then came primarily from volunteer efforts.
In this chapter, the authors successfully illustrate that a modern business can succeed only by leveraging the creativity of the Commons and engaging in conversations with a broad and dynamic set of participants in the given problem space.
Chapter 3 then tackles the most important question that managers ask: What is Open Source?
This chapter details the philosophical tenets of open source, the root of the zealotism as well as the history of open source. Many readers will find it interesting that, in the past, open source was the default methodology for leading software and scientific work!
Common myths and misconceptions are also addressed. The authors also provide an interesting comparison of the open source and agile methodologies showing how open source borrows from the strengths of the latter.
The secret sauce in open source is revealed and the various sections along the open source continuum are discussed. In particular, the authors address the value of gated communities and internal open source, a valuable discussion for those managers who wish to introduce open source into their company slowly or even extract value from only a subsection of the open source value chain.
This chapter is a complete description of the open source phenomena. As such, it can easily stand on it's own if one is looking for a quick primer.
Chapter 4 concerns itself with the business reason for adopting open source, how to develop an open source business strategy and how to create a business model that supports the open source strategy. Sun's NetBeans platform is used as a case study to illustrate the various aspects of an open source business.
This section gives possible reasons why you should open source your product as well as why you should use open source. This chapter is directed at the business strategist who wishes to understand how to implement an open source strategy and measure it's success.
Chapter 5 provides a discussion of the legal aspects of open source. It details the nature of a license, the structure of copyright, patents and types of licenses. It also covers multi-licensing, contributor agreements and licenses for documentation.
Chapter 6 concerns itself with the workings of the open source development process. An open source product is not so different from a proprietary one. It has versions, minor and major releases as well as a typical product life cycle.
The differences, where they do arise, are in the new infrastructure (and management of the same) as well as the additional responsibilities that developers are expected to take as they engage the community.
The authors also discuss joining an open source project. In particular, they emphasize that it is valuable to join an existing project if that project is already targeting the niche/functionality you wish to address with your project. This is important because it generates goodwill within the community.
Finally, open source within the company is discussed with case studies from IBM, HP and Sun.
Chapter 7 makes note of the fact that open source initiatives generally begin with middle management. As a result, middle managers encounter a number of challenges: The need to convince upper level management, get approval, acquire resources and set up the infrastructure.
This chapter provides valuable advice and strategies for individuals in this situation. (I wish I had read this chapter while at my previous employment. It would have saved me a tonne of grief.)
Chapter 8 assumes that the project is up and running. The mailing lists are functional and the public repositories are bursting with bleeding edge code. How, then, do we harvest the innovation that is happening elsewhere and build momentum?
After reading this chapter, the reader understands the value of marketing and community outreach. This is particularly valuable especially because it comes from two prominent members of the Sun community. (Sun, is the king of marketing. Their marketing efforts have made Java a household name and tool.)
Chapter 9 provides a summary of the gotcha's at various stages in the open source journey. At first, this chapter seemed superfluous as it repeats much of what has been said in previous chapters.
Upon review, however, the chapter becomes useful as a reference guide for managers as they tackle the problems that arise during implementation. The section on "recovering from mistakes" is particularly useful because a proprietary closed source company is typically used to hiding it's mistakes from customers and the world at large. The authors emphasize that it is important and valuable to fail in public especially if this failure is accompanied by an effective solution.
In Summary the title of this book is deceptive. I would have been better titled: Professional Open Source: A Manger's Guide. It is a lucid and accurate treatment of the topic.
The authors' concept of the commons is very interesting. It is one composed of things whose basic value is not diminished by making a copy. This, in my mind, is amazing! Does this mean that all projects should be open sourced? After all, software increases in value proportionally to the number of people to whom it's distributed.
The book also manages to dispel the myth of first mover advantage. In fact, first mover products rarely have the required quality to dominate the market. Perhaps this explains why open source products are rapidly eroding the market share of established applications. The proprietary stuff was a first mover relative to open source. It's quality was so bad that open source now presents a mature solution that actually works! (I can't help thinking about Zimbra in that regard)
Perhaps the most important message of the book is that there are smarter people in the world and they don't work for you! To paraphrase the authors:
This book should be at the bedside of any manager who is either delving into the open source world, wishes to understand what open source has to offer or seeks to clarify why open source as a business strategy will erode the market share of proprietary companies."
This is a book about open source in the enterprise. It seeks to answer those questions and more. Finally, the Open Source Process has been codified in a manner that gives management the business perspective they have been yearning for.
Too often, Open Source come across as a religion. Ron Goldman and Richard Gabriel, through their sober treatment of the topic, successfully detail all the pragmatic aspects that a business should consider.
This book, to paraphrase the authors: ..is for anyone interested in a better understanding of open source--its larger history, its philosophy--, and its future prospects.
It is licensed under a Creative Commons License and is available at this link.
Chapter 1 presents the problem that the modern enterprise faces, namely: how to ensure high levels of innovation and productivity.
The reader is then introduced to the "innovation happens elsewhere" problem: High productivity requires doing less in order to produce more. This, in turn, necessitates being able to leverage other individuals'/companies' efforts. A company, therefore, has to recognize that there are more innovative forces outside the company than in it. By using these forces, a company can maintain a competitive edge. Open source is then presented as a solution to the problem.
The rest of the chapter opens the readers mind to the "new" new way of doing business., illustrates why open source is a viable business strategy and introduces the most important aspect of open source: community.
Chapter 2 discusses the "innovation happens elsewhere" dilemma in even more depth. The authors have a keen understanding on the power of the Commons and how it can make a difference.
In order to illustrate how the Commons can make a difference, the authors use the history of the Web as an example. They highlight the fact that it was built as a volunteer effort with no central planning and a small set of simple protocols. The growth of the internet then came primarily from volunteer efforts.
In this chapter, the authors successfully illustrate that a modern business can succeed only by leveraging the creativity of the Commons and engaging in conversations with a broad and dynamic set of participants in the given problem space.
Chapter 3 then tackles the most important question that managers ask: What is Open Source?
This chapter details the philosophical tenets of open source, the root of the zealotism as well as the history of open source. Many readers will find it interesting that, in the past, open source was the default methodology for leading software and scientific work!
Common myths and misconceptions are also addressed. The authors also provide an interesting comparison of the open source and agile methodologies showing how open source borrows from the strengths of the latter.
The secret sauce in open source is revealed and the various sections along the open source continuum are discussed. In particular, the authors address the value of gated communities and internal open source, a valuable discussion for those managers who wish to introduce open source into their company slowly or even extract value from only a subsection of the open source value chain.
This chapter is a complete description of the open source phenomena. As such, it can easily stand on it's own if one is looking for a quick primer.
Chapter 4 concerns itself with the business reason for adopting open source, how to develop an open source business strategy and how to create a business model that supports the open source strategy. Sun's NetBeans platform is used as a case study to illustrate the various aspects of an open source business.
This section gives possible reasons why you should open source your product as well as why you should use open source. This chapter is directed at the business strategist who wishes to understand how to implement an open source strategy and measure it's success.
Chapter 5 provides a discussion of the legal aspects of open source. It details the nature of a license, the structure of copyright, patents and types of licenses. It also covers multi-licensing, contributor agreements and licenses for documentation.
Chapter 6 concerns itself with the workings of the open source development process. An open source product is not so different from a proprietary one. It has versions, minor and major releases as well as a typical product life cycle.
The differences, where they do arise, are in the new infrastructure (and management of the same) as well as the additional responsibilities that developers are expected to take as they engage the community.
The authors also discuss joining an open source project. In particular, they emphasize that it is valuable to join an existing project if that project is already targeting the niche/functionality you wish to address with your project. This is important because it generates goodwill within the community.
Finally, open source within the company is discussed with case studies from IBM, HP and Sun.
Chapter 7 makes note of the fact that open source initiatives generally begin with middle management. As a result, middle managers encounter a number of challenges: The need to convince upper level management, get approval, acquire resources and set up the infrastructure.
This chapter provides valuable advice and strategies for individuals in this situation. (I wish I had read this chapter while at my previous employment. It would have saved me a tonne of grief.)
Chapter 8 assumes that the project is up and running. The mailing lists are functional and the public repositories are bursting with bleeding edge code. How, then, do we harvest the innovation that is happening elsewhere and build momentum?
After reading this chapter, the reader understands the value of marketing and community outreach. This is particularly valuable especially because it comes from two prominent members of the Sun community. (Sun, is the king of marketing. Their marketing efforts have made Java a household name and tool.)
Chapter 9 provides a summary of the gotcha's at various stages in the open source journey. At first, this chapter seemed superfluous as it repeats much of what has been said in previous chapters.
Upon review, however, the chapter becomes useful as a reference guide for managers as they tackle the problems that arise during implementation. The section on "recovering from mistakes" is particularly useful because a proprietary closed source company is typically used to hiding it's mistakes from customers and the world at large. The authors emphasize that it is important and valuable to fail in public especially if this failure is accompanied by an effective solution.
In Summary the title of this book is deceptive. I would have been better titled: Professional Open Source: A Manger's Guide. It is a lucid and accurate treatment of the topic.
The authors' concept of the commons is very interesting. It is one composed of things whose basic value is not diminished by making a copy. This, in my mind, is amazing! Does this mean that all projects should be open sourced? After all, software increases in value proportionally to the number of people to whom it's distributed.
The book also manages to dispel the myth of first mover advantage. In fact, first mover products rarely have the required quality to dominate the market. Perhaps this explains why open source products are rapidly eroding the market share of established applications. The proprietary stuff was a first mover relative to open source. It's quality was so bad that open source now presents a mature solution that actually works! (I can't help thinking about Zimbra in that regard)
Perhaps the most important message of the book is that there are smarter people in the world and they don't work for you! To paraphrase the authors:
Regardless of how smart, creative and innovative you believe your organization is, there are more smart, creative and innovative people outside your organization than inside. In addition, the majority of elsewhere doesn't particularly care to make products in your space.
This book should be at the bedside of any manager who is either delving into the open source world, wishes to understand what open source has to offer or seeks to clarify why open source as a business strategy will erode the market share of proprietary companies."
Yo, Slashdot editor, you forgot to add "Book Review: " to the title!
Is slashdot going to innovate like Digg is doing?
"Leveraging innovation". C'mon. I'm a business person, and even I have no clue as to what "leveraging innovation" is supposed to mean. The only reason that I'd choose Open Source is if it improved my bottom line, in some way. I can't pay my bills with "innovation". I can't sell "innovation".
This book sounds like a salesman trying to convince you that you really, really do need this product. If it's not blatently obvious why I need that product, then I generally don't need it. This sounds like a solution looking for a problem. Explain to me in a sentence or two what the problem is that I'm apparently missing (we don't use any open source software other than VNC, and even that's being replaced soon). I shouldn't need an entire fucking book (that I have to buy) trying to sell my on something that I really doubt that I need.
I don't respond to AC's.