Experiment: Open Sourcing My Commercial App as a Solo Dev

For the past six years, I’ve been selling my macOS desktop app — a lightweight CSV editor — to users in over 70 countries. It’s been a solid side project, and the feedback has always been encouraging.

But at some point, I had to decide what to do with it long-term.

To justify ongoing work, I needed a plan.

Going all-in and turning it into a full-blown business wasn’t realistic — it’s too risky for me to focus entirely on a single product as a solo dev. And more importantly: I simply don’t want to run a software business. Letting it slowly die wasn’t an option either — the app is too useful for too many people.

So, I’m trying something in between.

🧪 I’m open sourcing the app.

Why?

It’s an experiment in reach and sustainability.

By making the code public (GPLv3), I’m hoping to attract more eyes. And from that attention, I’ll try to grow something more durable: a newsletter that reflects the real-world problems my users face when working with messy data. Eventually, there might also be a paid companion product — but that’s still just an idea for now.

I’m not expecting fast results. That’s fine. I’ve run a public beta test for this app for nearly two years, so I’m comfortable playing the long game.

If you're interested in open source as a solo dev, or curious how this plays out, I’ll share my experiences here as they unfold — both the wins and the awkward stumbles.

Would love to hear from others who’ve tried a similar route.