Open source business models - good examples?

Funny, that lifecycle curve @vivienmaidabornloo shared looks exactly like the classic speculation bubble curve a friend showed me recently (and the BitCoin price curve against which he compared it). Where do folk think Loomio is on that curve right now?

I agree with @richarddbartlett that the article on Red Hat starts out with some pretty questionable assumptions about "success", but I think the author hits the nail on the head towards the end:

Build a big business on top of and around a successful platform by adding something of your own that is both substantial and differentiated. Take, for example, our national road and highway system. If you view it as the transportation platform, you start to see the host of highly differentiated businesses that have been built on top of it, ranging from FedEx to Tesla.

In other words, build a business by leveraging (and contributing to) the commons, rather than trying to monopolize or privatize it. This is something everyone in business needs to realize. For example, instead of trying to hobble the public education system to engineer demand for business-run Charter Schools, businesses could be created to support and contribute to the public education commons.

@strypey I am fervently hoping that we are at the bottom of the trough and the release of version 1.0 will see us begin climbing the slope. Yeah I agree it is a very familiar curve:)

The increasing consumer demand for a digital interactive experience is driving the change for new business models, that offer a fast and efficient delivery process. However, to survive the digital transformation, and remain competitive, the new business delivery model must be inclusive. Products and services that incorporate a universal design strategy will ultimately offer a better user experience delivery model that meets customer expectations.

The ability to use new emerging technologies is currently at the heart of social inclusion, with those excluded being left out of many work, entertainment, communication, healthcare and social benefits. As the population ages and as governments enact accessibility regulations, all organizations need to understand what accessibility is and how it impacts their services, customers, employees, and facilities.

Accessibility is not just about legal compliance; it's also about revenue, return on investment, and profitability. Fundamentally, accessibility is about expanding market scope to include all people. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that there are over one billion people with disabilities in the world, of whom between 110-190 million experience very significant difficulties. This corresponds to about 15% of the world’s population. The prevalence of disability is growing due to population ageing and the global increase in chronic health conditions.

Crowd sourcing provides a platform for collaborative intelligence, but if it excludes those with disabilities, then it is not inclusive. User Centred Design must be integrated at all levels of the business model, and not just in the Development phase. That is, appending the WCAG2.0 to the Loomio design criteria is insufficient, and like all other social collaboration tools it will fail to meet the needs of disabled people. To be truly inclusive, and to emerge as a global leader, consider the talents before the disability, and include disabled persons in the decision making process. It is estimated that about 92% of the internet websites are inaccessible to blind and low vision people. Don't make the same mistake as the other social collaboration tool companies, and limit your market reach.