Open Source Must Evolve for AI and the Next Generation | Nithya Ruff (Head of AWS Open Source Program Office and Chair of the Linux Foundation)

CRAFTED. | The Tech Podcast for Founders, Makers, and Innovators

Nithya Ruff is an expert on open source. As the head of AWS’s Open Source Program Office and the Chair of the Linux Foundation, she has a wide view on all things open source.

On this episode of CRAFTED., we discuss:

• Why Open Source AI is so tricky, but also so essential, to define
• How open source needs to evolve for the next generation of developers
• What an Open Source Program Office is — and why companies like AWS have them
• The questions, benefits, and risks that arise when a company is considering using open source technologies
• Why contributing to open source (“giving back”) is not always so selfless: relying on a successful, well-supported open source technology can be very advantageous to companies
• Why you need need to be deliberate when growing an open source project – just let it grow organically is not a great recipe for success today
• How open source draws on so many skills beyond coding, such as community management, marketing, and legal
• How open source is not just for software. Social change, agriculture, and other domains often use open source approaches
• Nithya’s path, and why she loves with open source

Key Moments:

• (02:20) - The state of open source today
• (04:47) - Teaching a new generation the values of open source, increasing diversity
• (07:38) - Open source AI, why we need a definition of it, and why we should insist on it or else live in a “black box” future
• (11:34) - Open source is full of possibilities
• (13:08) - What an OSPO (Open Source Program Office) is and why companies have them
• (16:18) - Common open source questions developers face
• (21:24) - How to balance risk vs. reward when using open source
• (24:01) - Why (most) open source projects should not grow organically, and the value of community management
• (25:53) - Open source is not just for code. Social good, agriculture, and other applications…
• (27:40) - Nithya’s story: how she got into tech and why she fell in love with open source because it draws on so many skills, beyond just coding
• (32:01) - Outro

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CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Learn more at modernproductminds.com

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