Industry-Specific Open Source

Syed discusses the opportunity to take existing open source projects and customize them for specific verticals or industries, using Appflowy (an open source Notion competitor) as an example.

Key Points:

• Strategy:

  • Take popular software products and create open source alternatives
  • Customize these for specific industries or use cases
  • Allow self-hosting to reduce costs significantly for users

• Example Implementation:

  • Take Appflowy (open source Notion alternative)
  • Create specialized version for specific industries (e.g., doctors)
  • Users can fork the code, improve it, and contribute back
  • Businesses save 40-80% compared to proprietary solutions

• Business Model:

  • Core product remains free and open source
  • Revenue comes from:
    • Premium versions with additional features
    • Services and support
    • Convenience add-ons

• Advantages:

  • Lower cost for users
  • Ability to self-host
  • Community contributions improve the product
  • Users can customize for specific needs
  • Protection against vendor lock-in

• Target Markets:

  • Industries using expensive proprietary software
  • Users requiring customization
  • Organizations wanting cost savings
  • Businesses needing data control/self-hosting