In a prior blog post , I explained how the "open source + paid support " business model only works for software products that address extremely large markets. However, even those large market products rely upon a rich collection of niche market products that combine to deliver solutions.

As the book Crossing the Chasm explains, every technology product must make the move from its early adopter or hobbyist roots to a mainstream application. The hobbyists are willing to accept tinkering with the product to make it work, but the much larger mainstream market wants to buy proven solutions .

As John Donne once said, "no man is an island." Similarly, no software application is an island; each one relies on an orchestra of tools, applications and services necessary to …

In a prior blog post , I explained how the "open source + paid support " business model only works for software products that address extremely large markets. However, even those large market products rely upon a rich collection of niche market products that combine to deliver solutions.

As the book Crossing the Chasm explains, every technology product must make the move from its early adopter or hobbyist roots to a mainstream application. The hobbyists are willing to accept tinkering with the product to make it work, but the much larger mainstream market wants to buy proven solutions .

As John Donne once said, "no man is an island." Similarly, no software application is an island; each one relies on an orchestra of tools, applications and services necessary to …