- Code is free, communities are not
- Time is equivalent to money and it is not fair to expect free maintenance.
- Open source software is a capital contribution, the communities that create it deserve part of any return it produces
- Open source is not strictly aesthetic but also functional. It’s function is to produce business value. This business value is borrowed from the community and should be shared.
- Donations are great but equity is better
- Communities contribute to company profits and market capitalization. The value of these contributions should be directly correlated with the value of a company.
- Dependencies are projects too
- Projects are the sum of parts. Project value is not only determined solely by the end users but by the relationships with community contributors and project dependencies. These should be rewarded.
- Financial contributions do not equal governance
- Groundwater contributions are the cost of intellectual capital being re-invested in a decentralized and common talent infrastructure. Governance is highly delegated in a decentralized structure.
- Project contributions take many forms and should be valued as such
- Open source contributions are not made in a single way or through a specific channel. The entire surface area of open source contributions should be recognized and taken into account when value is returned to projects.
- Companies that employ open source contributors should also be able to participate in any returns that come to the projects they sponsor.