start-a-project-with-no-money
I am a top programmer and a dreamer, I want to start a open-source free software project to do good for the human-kind, but I don't have income to support my life. I want this project to grow fast, at least faster than doing it with only one person(myself). I have no income, so I cannot hire anybody. I want to put full time on it, so that I don't want to work for another company. What can I do?Any suggestion?
1 Answer
Get a job and write open source in your prime time at Github. When you have something cool, others open source guys might be attracted. After all you can then try to join a Foundation like the Apache Software Foundation to get even more attraction.
After all nobody is giving you a cent for a dream. At least when the dream is of an open source project without a single line of code. Much Open Source is done unpaid and only huge projects (like for example dartlang.org) is backed by big companies. Some projects which attract many people after a while are supported by company later.
Any way, if you have no money you'll need to work for some and start your project/business in your prime time.
That said, it is difficult to make an open source project "big". You need some really innovating ideas, a lot of energy and a good portion of luck.
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Basically this. It's the situation I'm in. I'm starting an OS project to build my portfolio. I'm doing it on my free time with a friend that also is in the same boat as me. But, it will take a while for 1 or 2 people to get a product to 1.0. That is why once you have something going that is at least a prototype you can start marketing it and trying to get it written about. Go to communities for OS developers and let people know about it. A few might want to join the project. Most of all, it's an OS project, just have fun and try new things that you don't normally get to try at a regular job. – Randy E 12 years ago
