Libraries.io is joining Tidelift

In my last two posts I rejected the notion that open source projects are a public good. I then identified some of the challenges that open source projects have to navigate and charted some of the courses projects have taken to become sustainable. I signed off with the simple question:

Can we do better?

Can we build a future where open source maintainers can choose to leave the work they do for the work they love without having to become a sales team, a SaaS provider, and a support desk all at once? Can we build a network of open source software that users know will continue to provide for them in a year, maybe even a decade? Where projects are able to commit to big goals, make brave decisions, and own their project roadmap?

Maybe. Yes. Maybe.

I’m not about to tell you I have the solution.

These are difficult problems to solve. Problems that we have known about for decades and have fought to bring to the attention of the world for years.

At Libraries.io we have been building software that creates a stronger, more informed open source ecosystem. At Dependency CI we have been building tools that lower the barriers to using and maintaining open source software. But our role in solving the bigger problem has been only as an enabler, helping others prioritise their work and understand their impact. This is about to change.

Today Andrew and I are joining Tidelift to tackle this problem head-on, and we’re bringing Libraries.io and Dependency CI with us. Tidelift is a new company, with a mission of making open source software work better for developers and users. You can read a little more over on the Tidelift blog.

Now as part of Tidelift, we will continue our work with our new colleagues and supporters. Libraries.io will remain an open source project, we’ll continue our open data program, and we’ll continue to collaborate with partners in the open source and research communities. And we’re excited to take Dependency CI to the next level, with an eye to supporting both creators and users of open source.

We hope you’ll continue to support us, our new colleagues and each other as we move toward a more sustainable future for open source software.

Because difficult problems are easier to solve together.