In this talk, we’ll pull back the curtain on why—and how—we took Semaphore, a continuous integration and delivery platform, from a proprietary SaaS solution to an open-source Community Edition.
We’ll discuss the motivations behind open-sourcing a proven product, reveal the unexpected technical and organizational hurdles, and show how we navigated license selection, feature prioritization, and documentation overhaul.
This session is for anyone who has ever considered open-sourcing their commercial software product or who wants an inside look at the processes, challenges, and triumphs of such a transition.
Key takeaways include:
– Strategic Decisions: Why we created an open-source version, how we chose which features to include, and why Apache 2 is the best license for our community.
– Collaboration and Task Force: How we formed a dedicated group to drive the open-source effort and the cross-functional work involved.
– Technical & Documentation Challenges: The roadblocks we faced—from re-architecting sections of the product to rewriting documentation—to ensure a successful community edition launch.
– Future Outlook: Our vision for growing Semaphore Community Edition and building a vibrant, engaged open-source community.
By the end, you’ll gain insights into the complexities of open-sourcing a commercial SaaS product and actionable strategies to apply if you’re considering a similar path.
Relevant Links:
– Homepage: https://semaphore.io/
– Repository: https://github.com/semaphoreio/semaphore
– OSS Blog announcement: https://semaphore.io/semaphore-goes-open-source-today
