Ask HN: How can we open-source a 7 year old SaaS codebase and build a community?
May 30, 2024 - news.ycombinator.com
Kirill Markin and Nikolay Amiantov, co-founders of a CRM/ERP product, are planning to open-source their core code and pivot to adding value with LLMs on top. Despite having paying customers since 2017, they are seeking to accelerate their slow growth rate and attract a larger user base through open-sourcing, which aligns with their values and serves as a strategy to attract a community. Their codebase, which includes 38k LoC of F# and 35k LoC of TypeScript + Vue.js, has received positive feedback from Zoho and ODOO integrators/developers, their closest competitors.
The co-founders are currently facing challenges in figuring out the best way to launch their large codebase on GitHub for maximum visibility. They are seeking suggestions on building a community around their open-source product, organizing further work, and any other advice that could help them take the next steps.
Key takeaways:
Kirill Markin and Nikolay Amiantov are open-sourcing their CRM/ERP product's core code to add value with LLMs and attract a community.
The codebase consists of 38k LoC of F# and 35k LoC of TypeScript + Vue.js.
They have been reaching out to Zoho and ODOO integrators/developers, their closest competitors, and have received positive feedback.
They are seeking advice on how to launch their large codebase on GitHub for maximum visibility and how to build a community around their open-source product.
