Leveraging Open Source as a Strategy
OSMM Level 5 is about Strategy. At this level, strategy should be action-oriented and expressed as a set of practical plays.
Use this page as a playbook index. Each play below is intentionally concise and can be applied independently depending on your goals.
Core Strategic Plays
- Commodification of Complements: reduce dependency and vendor leverage by open-sourcing non-differentiating layers around your strategic products.
- Open Source Ecosystem: build a partner and contributor ecosystem that increases adoption and influence.
- Open-Source-Led Strategy: use open source participation to directly shape technology choices, standards, and market direction.
- Why Open-Source a Firm Project?: connect project creation to business outcomes such as hiring, marketing, and strategic positioning.
How to use these plays
- Start with your strategic objective (cost leverage, adoption, talent, standards influence, or ecosystem growth).
- Select one primary play and one supporting play.
- Define measurable outcomes and review progress with leadership on a regular cadence.
Further Reading
- Setting an Open Source Strategy - by Linux Foundation authors.
- How to write a Strategic Plan - Harvard Kennedy School
- Why You Need an Open Source Strategy - Boston Consulting Group.