Open Source: Running the Invisible Engine of the Digital Economy
What if the greatest threat to open-source isn’t funding or fame—but the quiet moment when tech giants stop giving back and start taking for granted?
In an era where every startup runs on code someone else wrote for free, a provocative question is rising: who keeps the commons alive when the biggest beneficiaries treat contributions like charity instead of oxygen?
This Techronicler investigation asks the question most boardrooms whisper: can corporate leaders still nurture thriving open-source communities without turning them into unpaid R&D departments?
From allocating paid hours to upstream fixes to turning mentorship into KPIs, from funding maintainers to baking contributions into performance reviews, the pioneers steering tomorrow’s stacks reveal the playbook for keeping the ecosystem breathing.
Their answers expose a 2025 truth: open-source doesn’t survive on goodwill—it survives when leaders make giving back as strategic as taking.
Read on!
Guide Feedback, Ignite Open-Source Fire
Tech leaders of today play a crucial role in fostering thriving, sustainable open-source communities, and it all starts with how they set the tone within their brand.
Building brand awareness around open-source projects requires leaders to define clear goals, choose the right open-source license and make code easily accessible to the community.
Publicizing any project inevitably invites feedback.
But guiding feedback through the use of a contributor guide helps welcome diverse perspectives that can uncover blind spots, identify areas of improvement, and even validate the usefulness of project efforts.
Effectively promoting projects through blogs, video demos and podcast appearances can also attract more users and contributors.
However, above all else, tech leaders should remember that open-source communities are more than just lines of code; they are colorful and vibrant ecosystems where diverse individuals come together to share ideas, drive innovation, and inspire each other.
It’s through their encouragement of transparency and consistency that the open-source community will thrive and be sustained.
Benny Vasquez
Directors, AlmaLinux OS Foundation
Fund Maintainers or Lose Everything
Too often, we forget just how much of modern technology is built on open-source foundations.
Many of the tools and frameworks that power today’s innovations rely on the personal time and dedication of individual maintainers.
But much of this work goes underfunded and under-recognized, leading to burnout and stagnation.
Tech leaders have a responsibility to help change that.
It starts with acknowledging the value these projects deliver and taking action to support them.
Whether through funding, contributing code, improving documentation, or simply helping amplify awareness, companies can play an active role in sustaining the open-source ecosystem they rely on.
Healthy open-source communities drive innovation across the industry.
If we want to build stronger, more mature software ecosystems, we need to invest in the people and projects that make that possible.
Damien Garros
Co-Founder & CEO, OpsMill
Mentor Newcomers, Secure the Future
Tech leaders play a vital role in building and sustaining open-source communities by providing clear direction and dedicated support.
When they allocate staff time for maintaining projects and mentoring newcomers, it signals that open source is a priority, not just a side task.
Investing in clear documentation and easy onboarding helps new contributors feel welcome and confident, while mentorship programs foster growth and inclusion.
Transparent governance and a strong code of conduct create a trustworthy and respectful environment.
Recognizing contributors, whether through public praise, digital badges, or sponsorship, encourages continued involvement.
Hosting events like hackathons or virtual meetups strengthens community bonds and reinforces shared goals.
Most importantly, when leaders actively promote open source within their organizations, it creates a culture where collaboration and innovation thrive, leading to long-term, sustainable contributions.
Richard Suls
Security Advisory, Reversec
Pay Upstream or Risk Abandonware
To nurture a thriving open-source community and ensure sustainable contributions, tech leaders must promote proactive participation in open source communities that goes beyond transactional contributions, even if the contribution isn’t directly related to the company’s needs.
This can include work on other parts of the code, issue triage, design & marketing, community engagement.
Too often, companies leave open source to magical thinking.
For dependencies, leadership assumes the projects that the company needs to build its products will continue to be there and fix whatever issues arise.
For first-party open source projects, leaders assume a community will pop up and self-sustain if only the company puts the code on GitHub.
Neither of these are true.
Investing in keeping the community sustainable mitigates the risk of abandonware and activity begets activity.
Leadership must promote proactive engagement in communities instead of focusing on extracting value.
Ben Cotton
Leader, Kusari
Make Contribution a Real KPI
Managers and business play a huge role in fostering thriving open-source communities by championing a culture of contribution, recognition, and long-term vision.
We need to encourage their teams to engage with open-source projects—whether through code, documentation, or mentorship.
Offer feedback, advise on the output and where we can signal that it’s not only permitted but valued.
People need to know it’s ok. Believe it or not, not everyone knows it.
Even allocating time and resources for engineers to contribute during work, setting clear contribution guidelines, and highlighting community impact in performance reviews are all practical steps.
I think that by aligning business goals with community health, they help create sustainable ecosystems where innovation flourishes and everyone benefits.
I think speaking about technology and the importance of innovation and change is very healthy.
Elwood Roberts
Founder & Talent Advisor, Elwood Roberts Talent Advisory
Give Back Hours, Build Trust
Open-source is one of the most powerful forces behind digital innovation, but it thrives only when there’s active, ongoing support.
Tech leaders play a critical role by creating space for their teams to contribute, not just with code, but also with strategy, testing, and documentation.
At Digital Silk, we believe that sharing knowledge is a responsibility.
By encouraging developers to give back during work hours and by recognizing these contributions internally, we help sustain a culture of collaboration.
Leadership also means advocating for open-source adoption in client projects where it adds value.
Open source isn’t just about building tools, it’s about building trust and progress.
Supporting that ecosystem isn’t optional. It’s how we all move forward.
Share Tools, Don’t Just Take
Tech leaders really impact open-source projects by creating a culture that encourages everyone to contribute.
This includes making sure developers have time and resources to work on open-source, promoting the idea of sharing internal tools when it makes sense, and giving credit for contributions during performance reviews.
It’s not just about writing code either; leaders should foster open discussions, good documentation, and mentorship in these communities to help them thrive over time.
In short, we need to move from just using these resources to actively giving back.
Hiren Shah
Founder, Anstrex
Sponsor Foundations, Fuel Innovation
Tech leaders play a pivotal role in fostering thriving open-source communities by championing collaboration, transparency, and sustainable contributions.
They can allocate resources, such as dedicated time for employees to contribute to open-source projects, ensuring consistent engagement.
By fostering a culture of mentorship, leaders empower developers to share knowledge and guide newcomers, enhancing community inclusivity.
Strategic partnerships with open-source foundations can provide funding and infrastructure support, while promoting best practices like code reviews ensures quality.
Leaders should also advocate for clear governance models to align contributions with community goals.
By integrating open-source into business strategies, as seen in Capital One’s cloud adoption initiatives, tech leaders drive innovation while sustaining ecosystems.
Encouraging diversity and recognizing contributors’ efforts further strengthens community resilience, ensuring long-term impact and scalability.
Anil Kumar Moka
Lead Software Engineer, Capital One
Reward Open-Source Like Core Work
Tech leaders shape open-source communities by setting clear expectations, recognizing contributors, and funding long-term maintenance.
Many open-source projects break down when leaders chase rapid innovation without building a structure for support.
The best leaders define standards, maintain documentation, and dedicate internal resources to projects their teams rely on.
This prevents burnout and ensures consistent development.
At EcoATM, we monitor how our teams engage with open-source tools.
When a package becomes central to a workflow, we allocate time for developers to contribute upstream.
This practice creates alignment between internal goals and external responsibility.
Leaders at Stripe and Shopify have taken similar steps by assigning engineers to key projects that benefit the entire ecosystem.
You get results when contribution is built into your culture.
Recognize work in performance reviews. Assign mentors to help first-time contributors.
Tech leaders shouldn’t rely on goodwill. Sustainable contribution happens when support is structured and backed by time and budget.
On behalf of the Techronicler community of readers, we thank these leaders and experts for taking the time to share valuable insights that stem from years of experience and in-depth expertise in their respective niches.
If you wish to showcase your experience and expertise, participate in industry-leading discussions, and add visibility and impact to your personal brand and business, get in touch with the Techronicler team to feature in our fast-growing publication.
