Hi all,
I'm the founder of a startup in the Kubernetes space with an open-core business model.<p>We're about to start raising money. We're planning a paid version and already have a roadmap for that with clear differentiation from the open source version based on feedback from potential customers.<p>The primary questions we're still figuring out are:<p>1. What should be a bigger priority in the first year? Growing the open source community or acquiring paid customers?<p>2. What metrics should we use for measuring the success of the open source version? Contributers? Github stars? Downloads? Number of Kubernetes clusters on which we run? These metrics matter both for measuring our own progress and for showing investors.<p>We've heard very different answers to the above questions from different advisors. Does anyone have experience with this?<p>Thank you
[random advice from the internet]<p>Paid customers.<p>Being open source is a distraction.<p>An excuse for failure.<p>A way of avoiding rejection that is inevitable when asking people to give you money.<p>Following the advice of potential customers is a poor strategy. [1] They are not eager to give you money. Real customers are.<p>Good luck.<p>[1]: If you think I am wrong, ask them for money to develop the product. If they give it to you, then I am wrong. And you are ahead because you have customers. And because you have started asking for money.