What we in the open world are messing up in trying to compete with big tech
a year ago
- #user-experience
- #big-tech
- #open-source
- Open tech initiatives often fail to compete with big tech due to lack of user-friendliness and service-oriented delivery.
- Open source solutions must be more beautiful and easier to use than proprietary alternatives to gain traction.
- Self-hosting is no longer common; open source must prominently offer 'as-a-service' solutions with support.
- Avoid replicating American-style software with excessive tracking and privacy violations; choose local, ethical alternatives.
- Understand the real-world needs and workflows of users before building solutions.
- Know existing big tech solutions well before claiming superiority; underpromise and overdeliver.
- European cloud services excel in compute/storage/networking but lack global hyperscaler capabilities.
- Open source must address boring but critical aspects like backups, certifications, and multilingual support.
- Big tech excels in reliability and security; open source must match or exceed these standards.
- Protect users with robust login security and monitoring, comparable to major providers.
- Certifications and training are essential for credibility and adoption in large organizations.
- Ensure privacy and avoid unnecessary logging or tracking in open source projects.
- Invest in robust infrastructure, including servers, storage, networking, and DoS protection.
- Active sales and promotion are necessary, even for free products, to gain visibility and adoption.
- Enable instant demos and easy onboarding to compete with big tech's seamless user experience.
- Adapt to real-world quirks (e.g., smart quotes, Microsoft scanners) rather than insisting on purity.
- Present a solid, professional image to gain trust from procurement departments and decision-makers.
- Collaborate beyond tech, e.g., to challenge big tech's email filtering practices collectively.
- Sustainable business models are crucial; open source contributors need fair compensation.
- Clarify ownership early to avoid acquisition risks and ensure long-term project viability.
- Focus on priorities like documentation and UI over minor technical perfectionism.
- Stay true to open source values: collaboration, inclusivity, and user control over data.