How can we manifest open source hardware outside of the maker movement? According to Dr Peter Troxler, community plays a key role in the succesful business development around open designs
For years, open source hardware has been allowed to flourish within the global maker movement. But how does one take the successes and progressions of the makerspace and manifest them beyond the world of “consenting nerds”?
On November 8, 2021, Dr Peter Troxler took tot he stage at the OPENNEXT event “The Shared Future of Open Source Hardware” and presented an eye-opening reflection on the role of community in open source business models. Distinguishing between community-oriented and community-based product development, Dr Troxler argued that the linear progression of the classic Business Model Canvas renders it dysfunctional for businesses looking to design a model around their open source product.
Open source hardware is not a new phenomenon. But the potential is often overlooked by mainstream businesses and the market economy as a whole. A talk about how to take the potential of makerspaces an expand it…
Extensive knowledge sharing can be directly linked to the collective innovation that took place during the industrial revolution.
Peter Troxler, co-author of “Open Design Now – Why design cannot remain exclusive”
Community – “Consenting nerds”
Make movement – technologies are limited, the factories don’t scale, the markets are social and the communities are sometimes hard to find.
Open design holds an immense potential, but when we talk about open source and business, says Troxler, people still think linear and thinks “people who harnesses big factories and can make whatever they want, with no space for community.” If we are to make open-source hardware viable companies must first rethink business models.
We are as gods and might as well get good at it. “We haven’t gotten good at it.”
Open design modelled on giving things away, mass-participation in design, co-creation and a range of different approaches that seek to develop new methods of creativity […] not necessarily based on conventional business models and market economy. WHY THE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS DOESN’T WORK.
So, how do you create a and connect with others commons? And how do you fit the community into your project – and vice versa.
Community-oriented versus community-based, and the democratic and monetary benefits and challenges related to both.