Sam Dean | 29 December 2017
Check out the list of 21 must-read books for open source program managers, recommended by members of the TODO Group.
Is your organization looking to build out an open source program or are you already managing one? If so, you’re probably already considering the kinds of tools and guidance that can make your program a holistic success. That is why, in this article series, we have been covering tools for managing open source programs and providing advice from leading experts.
Now, to take your program to the next level, we offer a free guide containing an essential open source reading list. This list can help any organization launch and maintain a thriving open source program.
Specifically, the guide provides 21 must-read books for open source program managers, recommended by members of the TODO Group. These books can help your organization build a strong foundation and avoid missteps in developing your open source program.
Advice from experts is key to running a successful open source program. “It took us years of constant discussion and negotiation to break from the traditional IT setup into a more flexible environment that supports our open source development,” said Ibrahim Haddad, Vice President of R&D and Head of the Open Source Group at Samsung Research. “We made it work for us and with enough persistence you also can make it work for your open source team.”
The book in this list provide expert advice on how to get your open source tool collection started, how to approach issues such as licensing and governance, and much more. “A well-designed open source compliance process should simultaneously ensure compliance with the terms of open source licenses and also help companies protect their own intellectual property and that of third-party suppliers from unintended disclosure and/or other consequences,” notes Haddad.
Here are just some of the titles on the essential open source reading list:
Codev2 by Lawrence Lessig: A classic treatise on Internet regulation and the role of code as a form of law
New Frontiers in Open Innovation by Henry William Chesbrough: A thorough examination of research conducted to date on open innovation
Managing 3rd-Party Software Licenses by Giles Middleton: Covers not only license types, but methods of handling and tracking components and their licenses
Open Source for Business: A Practical Guide to Open Source Software Licensing by Heather Meeker: A downloadable ebook on licensing and legal terms
Producing Open Source Software: How to Run a Successful Free Software Project by Karl Fogel: From your mission statement to project fruition, don’t miss these guidelines
The Art of Community: Building the New Age of Participation by Jono Bacon: Sound advice from one of the most respected of all community managers
The free reading list can help you navigate all kinds of common open source-related challenges. It covers everything from evaluating ROI to optimizing practices, and it explores how to seamlessly and safely leverage existing tools to complement your open source creations. It is one of a new collection of free guides from The Linux Foundation and The TODO Group that are targeted at organizations running open source programs or considering them.
The guides are available now and they can help you run an open source program office where open source is supported, shared, and leveraged. They can also, in many instances, keep your program out of trouble, where trouble can range from licensing skirmishes to lawsuits.
These free resources were produced based on expertise from open source leaders, including advice from many members of The TODO Group, which includes Autodesk, Comcast, Dropbox, Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Netflix, Red Hat, Salesforce, and Samsung.
Also, don’t miss the previous articles in the series:
How to Create an Open Source Program
Tools for Managing Open Source Programs
Measuring Your Open Source Program’s Success
Effective Strategies for Recruiting Open Source Developers
Participating in Open Source Communities
Launching an Open Source Project: A Free Guide
Practical Ways to Improve Your Open Source Development Impact