solopreneurship

Most open source projects inherit a contribution policy they never chose. For a solopreneur with a commercial model, that default is wrong — ownership, AI noise, and commercial leverage all push toward closed. Here is when and how to open the door: with payment, with a CLA, or not at all.

The previous post laid out why licensing matters for a solopreneur working in the open. This one is the decision: AGPL v3 for the code, CC Attribution-ShareAlike for the writing — and the reasoning behind each choice.

Can you give everything away and still build something financially sustainable? This post works through the distinction between open source code and Creative Commons writing, maps the available monetization models, and reasons through why open core falls short, and why consultancy alone is not enough — and what a workable alternative might look like.

I'm transforming my digital presence from a basic business card to a strategic asset that demonstrates expertise, builds relationships through content, and creates new opportunities through public knowledge sharing across writings, consulting services, and venture initiatives.