Tip: Build open-source software to grow your audience and your revenue

While you might not have guessed it, open-source projects can be a great source of income. Make your product open source to gain an audience, grow your business, and build better software.

@nemiah of open3A is making $9,000/mo with open-source software. Her app is free, but users can purchase paid extensions. The special sauce is that her shop remembers all the extensions a customer has bought so that every time they download a version, it puts all the paid extensions together in a zip file for them. So the customer gets the code, including extensions, after they buy. Additionally, she now has a way for people to "rent" the app from her while she takes care of the technical implementation, maintenance, etc. for them. And now, she has a physical product as well. Other ways to monetize your open-source projects include charging for support, dual licensing, and using the project to promote another (paid) product. If you decide to go the open-source route, here's a solid guide to get you started. It's not for everyone, but if you're a B2B company, or if you target tech-savvy customers, it could be worth considering.