Open source software runs a huge chunk of the geospatial world — but somebody still has to pay for it.

In this episode I sit down with Marco Bernasocchi creator of QField and CEO of OpenGIS.ch, to dig into the awkward question most open source projects avoid: how do you keep something free and open while paying real people to build and maintain it?

Marco has been in the open source world since 2007, and he's grown QField into a tool with over two million downloads and a team of 14 behind it. We talk through how the money actually works — from sponsored feature development, to donations, to the cloud service that now funds most of what they do. Marco makes a compelling case that the real product isn't the software at all; it's convenience. You can always run it yourself. Paying just makes life easier — and keeps the project alive for everyone who can't.

We also get into why he refuses to say "free software," what maintainer burnout really looks like, and his advice for any developer quietly drowning in a project they love but can't afford to keep running.

A candid conversation about money, sustainability, and being a good citizen in the open source ecosystem.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(270)

Cloud-Native Geospatial for Small Teams

Cloud-Native Geospatial for Small Teams

Cloud-Native Geospatial for Small Teams: How the Utah Geological Survey Did It What happens when a small, technical team at a state agency decides to go cloud native? They don't have terabytes of sate...

23 Sep 37min

GERS, Metadata, and Maps Built for Machines

GERS, Metadata, and Maps Built for Machines

We already have a map. Actually, we have lots of maps. So why did Overture build another one? My guest in this episode is Amy Rose, CTO of the Overture Maps Foundation, and she makes a pretty compelli...

17 Sep 48min

The Evolution of Positioning Systems

The Evolution of Positioning Systems

Republished Episode - I wanted to resurface this episode because positioning is everything, and it's a great overview of how it works.   Right now you are being bathed in radio signals from about 35 s...

9 Sep 54min

Sentinel Bird

Sentinel Bird

Earlier this year I ran a small experiment called the Geospatial Launchpad — six weeks of working closely with a couple of people to help them push their geospatial projects forward. West was one of t...

7 Sep 28min

Fields Of The World

Fields Of The World

Where does one field end and the next one begin? It sounds trivial right up until you try to answer it. In this episode, I'm joined by Hannah Kerner — Assistant Professor at Arizona State University, ...

18 Aug 43min

Virtual Worlds for Physical AI Systems

Virtual Worlds for Physical AI Systems

In this episode I'm joined by Apurva Shah, co-founder and CEO of Duality AI, a company building virtual worlds — or "world models" for robots and physical AI systems. Apurva's path here is an unusual ...

4 Aug 49min

GPS, But 100 Times Stronger

GPS, But 100 Times Stronger

My guest today is Tyler Reid, co-founder and CTO of Xona, a company building the first commercial satellite navigation system. We get into why Tyler and his team are moving satellites into low Earth o...

29 Juli 43min

Turning Aerial Imagery Into a Searchable World

Turning Aerial Imagery Into a Searchable World

Vexcel isn't a household name — but you've almost certainly used their data. This aerial imaging company flies low-elevation aircraft across roughly 45 countries, capturing imagery at 7.5cm resolution...

28 Juli 55min

Populärt inom Vetenskap

dumma-manniskor
p3-dystopia
rss-mottagningen
angestpodden
allt-du-velat-veta
rss-ronden
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
ufo-sverige
det-morka-psyket
svd-nyhetsartiklar
sexet
rss-spraket
rss-arkeologi-historia-podden-som-graver-i-vart-kulturlandskap
4health-med-anna-sparre
vetenskap-och-halsa
halsorevolutionen
rss-vetenskapsradion-2
rss-vetenskapsradion
bildningspodden
medicinvetarna