[mgkimsal]

* Being the de-facto expert in your product

For some things this may work, but if someone's going to be investing 6-7 figure consulting contracts, and the code is open and free, they'll eventually replace you with someone else in-house.

* Training

Isn't a recurring or ongoing stream.

* Tech support

If you design your product/service well enough, people probably won't need much hand-holding. Or... someone else will take the code and make a better version that doesn't need the hand-holding, and win your potential customers away.

* Books

Again... not really recurring.

Yes, there's ways to make money, but none of these are terribly good business models. Books? Entire massive companies based around books are folding or shrinking. Suggesting that someone's business model be based on books is... weird.

And when the code is open, you'll face more potential competition than if the code was closed.

ACK - I missed your 'milk' phrase. 'Milking money' just doesn't scream 'solid business model' - it screams out "petty vendor who will nickel and dime me to death".

[sarciszewski]

> they'll eventually replace you with someone else in-house

Yeah, that's why you don't put all your eggs in the same basket :)

> ACK - I missed your 'milk' phrase. 'Milking money' just doesn't scream 'solid business model' - it screams out "petty vendor who will nickel and dime me to death".

I view business as inherently evil and selfish. I am choosing to engage in business because I don't care about being good.

[ehrman]

> I view business as inherently evil and selfish.

I suggest rebuilding your frame of reference.

Offering something of value for a profit is not evil. It may be considered selfish, but it is also selfish to offer something of value for free to gain moral high ground, peer recognition, and resume fodder.

Being selfish isn't evil; survival isn't evil. You live in a community that has rules and values, and if you live in the spirit of those rules and values, being selfish isn't causing harm, and in most cases, helps others. When a business bends those rules, or breaks them with no regard for the community, that can be considered unethical and in some cases "immoral" and possibly evil by some definitions.

If your business model doesn't take advantage of customers, employees, or the surrounding community, you probably have a good business plan.

[sarciszewski]

> I suggest rebuilding your frame of reference.

Thanks, but I'm perfectly happy with my opinions and will not be discarding them at the behest of some HN user.