Eliot Horowitz: Open source is the future of software stability | a16z Live

Key takeaways

• Open source is crucial for the longevity and security of software systems.
• The future of popular databases is firmly rooted in open source.
• Open source is indispensable for infrastructure software development.
• Modern open source business models leverage cloud services for monetization.
• Successful open source companies excel in both software and cloud systems.
• Developer satisfaction is pivotal for product adoption and growth.
• Developers prefer tools that simplify tasks and reduce coding effort.
• Developer excitement is gauged by product usage and recommendations.
• Engaging developers to try new products poses significant challenges.
• Initial product experiences must clearly convey value to developers.
• Open source ensures systems outlive individual companies.
• The open source model is a powerful tool for developers globally.

Guest intro

Eliot Horowitz is the CEO and founder of Viam, a software company building products that connect hardware to software and unlock AI and automation for the physical world. He previously co-founded MongoDB in 2007, where he served as CTO and wrote the core codebase for the pioneering database that went public in 2017 and reached a market cap of over 20 billion dollars. During his 13 years leading MongoDB’s engineering and product teams, Horowitz built the company into the de facto cloud-based database management tool by pioneering developer-focused go-to-market strategies and community-driven growth.

The role of open source in modern software

• Open source is essential for the stability and security of systems, ensuring they outlive individual companies.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• There will never be a really popular database that isn’t open source again.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• Open source is a cornerstone for building infrastructure software.

• I don’t think there’s going to be a serious piece of infrastructure software that people actually use and deploy that isn’t open source.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• Open source aids in creating sustainable software solutions.
• The open source model fosters community-driven development.
• Open source projects often outlast proprietary software.
• Open source is integral to the future of database technologies.

Business models in open source

• Modern business models for open source focus on cloud service integration.

• The way I always thought about it was you know the core product is open source and the things you have to pay for anyway should be commercialized.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• Open source companies monetize through premium features and services.
• Cloud services enhance user experience in open source models.
• Open source business strategies are evolving with technology.
• Companies must balance open source offerings with commercial services.
• Open source projects often rely on community contributions.
• Successful open source models blend free and paid offerings.

Challenges for open source companies

• Open source companies must excel in both software and cloud systems.

• The challenge and I think why you don’t see more open source companies doing this is that you have to be good at both you have to be good at actually writing infrastructure software and building big cloud systems and that’s a challenge.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• Balancing open source and commercial interests is complex.
• Open source companies face unique market challenges.
• Building a sustainable open source business requires diverse skills.
• Open source companies must innovate to remain competitive.
• Open source projects need strong community support.
• Success in open source requires strategic planning and execution.

Developer engagement and product adoption

• Focusing on developer satisfaction is key to product adoption and growth.

• We mostly just ignored the competitors and what they were doing and really just focused on making developers that we were talking to happy with the product.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• Developers seek tools that simplify their work and reduce coding.

• Developers are inherently lazy right why do you write software you write software to automate things that you don’t wanna do right you write software to make your life easier.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• Developer excitement is measured by usage and recommendations.

• The only way to measure excitement from developers is do they use it and do they tell their friends about it.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• Engaging developers to try new products is challenging.
• Initial product experiences must clearly demonstrate value.

Importance of first impressions in software

• The initial experience with a product must clearly demonstrate its value.

• You have to make it incredibly clear very early on what you’re what value you’re adding what’s good about the product.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• First impressions are critical in attracting developer interest.
• Clear value propositions are essential for product engagement.
• Developers need to see immediate benefits from new tools.
• A compelling first experience can drive product adoption.
• Initial impressions can make or break developer interest.
• Demonstrating value early is key to retaining users.

Developer motivations and behavior

• Developers write software to automate tasks and simplify work.

• Developers are inherently lazy right why do you write software you write software to automate things that you don’t wanna do right you write software to make your life easier.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• Understanding developer motivations is crucial for product design.
• Developers favor tools that enhance productivity.
• Simplifying developer tasks can drive tool adoption.
• Developer behavior is influenced by ease of use and efficiency.
• Developers are motivated by tools that reduce workload.
• Effective tools align with developer needs and preferences.

Measuring success in the developer community

• Developer excitement is gauged by product usage and recommendations.

• The only way to measure excitement from developers is do they use it and do they tell their friends about it.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• Successful products generate organic advocacy among developers.
• Usage metrics are key indicators of product success.
• Developer recommendations reflect genuine product interest.
• Community engagement is vital for measuring success.
• Developer feedback is crucial for product improvement.
• Successful products resonate with the developer community.

Overcoming barriers to developer adoption

• Getting developers to try a product for even a week is challenging.

• Even to get someone to try it for a week is non trivial right because you know they have to dedicate time and team time towards it.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• Overcoming adoption barriers requires compelling value propositions.
• Developers need clear incentives to try new tools.
• Time investment is a significant barrier to adoption.
• Products must offer clear benefits to justify developer time.
• Adoption challenges require strategic engagement efforts.
• Clear communication of benefits can overcome adoption hurdles.

The future of open source and database technologies

• Open source is integral to the future of database technologies.

• There will never be a really popular database that isn’t open source again.

  — Eliot Horowitz

• The open source model will continue to shape database development.
• Future databases will likely be open source by default.
• Open source fosters innovation in database technologies.
• The database market is increasingly open source-driven.
• Open source databases offer flexibility and community support.
• The future of databases is tied to open source advancements.