Open Source technologies build the foundation of the free and open internet, but many are developed by only a single maintainer or a very small community.
Despite the critical role these tools play in the internet ecosystem, they are perpetually under-funded and under-supported.
The similarity to other “system relevant” professions is striking: The more we need them to keep the system running, the less we are willing to appreciate and sufficiently fund them.
Who cares? We all need to, as without proper funding and without redundant staffing, these projects may die out, leaving critical components unmaintained.
About Jutta Horstmann
Entrepreneur, founder, leader, sparring partner and mentor - scaling organizations, driving change, nurturing culture. Feminist sustainability and free software advocate. Jutta has also been a very early Drupal user (17 years!)
25 years of experience in the IT sector: After holding various engineering roles, Jutta founded her own software development & consulting company, Data in Transit in 2006 and grew it successfully over a decade.
Later, 5 years at eyeo saw her in various roles, including COO, CTO and Managing Director. She led the company until the end of 2022, scaling it from 100 to 250 employees.