Using FLOSS tools and methods is a no-brainer for cash-strapped startup companies that are trying to create something of value for their customers while growing their business. Some of these businesses will follow traditional business models and use FLOSS only as internal cost-saving measures. Other businesses are "born-open" and choose to build their business models around the norms and values of the FLOSS movement. But what does the process of starting and growing a born-open business actually look like? How do founders create a business model that promotes FLOSS values while generating revenue?

Using data gathered from research on entrepreneurs involved in FLOSS, this presentation offers a perspective on the process of starting and growing a born-open business. It provides accounts of how founders from radically different backgrounds engage in a community building process that leads to surprisingly similar business models. Some of the key factors in understanding what is different in born-open business models are discussed.

Open entrepreneurship: The process of building a born-open business

Link to the video for this presentation: https://senema.senecac.on.ca/videos/1956/fsoss-2012-open-entrepreneurship