Joining Acquia not only marks the earliest stage that I’ve joined a company, but also the first time I’ve joined a commercial Open Source company. This was one of the main reasons I chose to join the company. Managing a services business at an Open Source software company creates some interesting challenges compared to my past experience in traditional software and consulting businesses.
There’s more than one culture to adapt to. When you join an Open Source company, you not only need to adjust to your company’s culture, but you need to become an active member of the Open Source community. At an early stage, the cultures are likely to be quite similar—but its not guaranteed. Even with compatible cultures, you’re still dealing with two sets of personalities and the politics that come any time you get people together.
The software already exists. This is a big benefit but also a risk when putting your team together. If you’re building your capabilities along with the software, your company will be able to put the right team in place to stay ahead of the curve as use and acceptance of your software grows. In an Open Source world, the software is already there and keeps moving as you build your team. They community will continue to adapt and the software will grow while you build your capabilities. This isn’t just a technical matter, as the best Open Source communities focus on marketing and other business matters.
Your company is a risk to the community. Regardless of who your founders are, and what your intentions are, its healthy for the existing community to view your company as a risk and look for ways to mitigate it. This may not show up in any overt ways, but its something that you need to be aware of. Just don’t let it paralyze you—you’re a member of the community, too.
These are a few of the points that I keep in mind as I work to launch my practice within Acquia. I’ve got more to say about each of them, and some specific thoughts about Professional Services, that will show up in future posts.
Good Luck!
Glad to see you landed an opportunity that has you excited!
Brian Leonard
Submitted by Anonymous
on Sun, 04/20/2008 - 10:33am