Client software is heading toward open source, and here's why it makes technical sense:
Discoverability advantage: Open repos naturally rank higher in search and get picked up by dev communities. Your GitHub stars become organic marketing.
Trust through transparency: Users can audit the codebase themselves. No black boxes, no hidden telemetry. Security researchers can verify claims instead of taking your word for it.
Vibe coding unlocks customization: Developers can fork, modify, and PR back features they actually need. This creates a feedback loop where the software evolves based on real usage patterns, not product manager assumptions. Users become contributors when the barrier to modification is just a git clone away.
The shift isn't ideological—it's practical. When your users can read and modify your code, you're building with them, not just for them.
Discoverability advantage: Open repos naturally rank higher in search and get picked up by dev communities. Your GitHub stars become organic marketing.
Trust through transparency: Users can audit the codebase themselves. No black boxes, no hidden telemetry. Security researchers can verify claims instead of taking your word for it.
Vibe coding unlocks customization: Developers can fork, modify, and PR back features they actually need. This creates a feedback loop where the software evolves based on real usage patterns, not product manager assumptions. Users become contributors when the barrier to modification is just a git clone away.
The shift isn't ideological—it's practical. When your users can read and modify your code, you're building with them, not just for them.