Why do people make software for free?

When I first tell people about open source software, one of the most common questions I get is this:

"I just don't understand why people would create software if they don't get paid for it! How does that work?"

This question makes sense, because we all know that people need to make money to provide for their families. And every good capitalist knows that the profit incentive is what drives people to create and innovate. This is true for many industries, but it does not explain why open source software is created. Here is how I answer this question:

The birth of an open source project

Most open source software projects were created by a programmer who needed a piece of software to accomplish a certain task. Rather than purchasing a commercial software product (assuming that one existed), this programmer decided to create the software from scratch. This programmer might have been paid by their employer to create the software, or the work might have been done on personal time. Instead of hording the newly created software, the programmer decided to share it with the world by publishing it under an open source license.

The birth of an open source community

This is where the open source story gets interesting. It is likely that somewhere else in the world, a second programmer has a need for some software that provides the same functionality. Rather than starting from scratch, this second programmer discovers the open source project that was recently created. This second programmer uses the source code to add new features and fix some bugs that they found in the application. This second programmer then submits these improvements to the first programmer, who gladly accepts them and incorporates them into the original project.

This cycle continues as more and more people start using the software. Most people will simply use the software, but a small percentage will contribute to the project. These contributions will be made by programmers, documentation writers, translators, beta testers, artists, web administrators, and many other important roles.

The birth of an open source business

As the community of users grows into the thousands, the size of the community eventually reaches a critical mass. This happens when a need develops for a commercial entity to provide professional services related to the open source project. This need is driven by businesses who require a support contract before they will use open source software. The commercial open source company is driven by a profit motive, but their success is directly beneficial to the open source community.

The future of an open source project?

I hope this post explains how many open source projects were created, matured, and became supported by open source businesses. Not all open source projects followed this particular evolution, but I think it is the most common life-cycle for open source projects.

What does the future hold for open source? It is always hard to predict the future, but if you have been watching closely you will see that traditional software companies have been investing in or purchasing these commercial open source companies. This means that in the near future, your traditional software vendors will actually be developing open source software, and trying to implement a successful business model based on open source.