Research Exercise: Interview questions: Reflecting on open sourcing the thing we do/did!'
Context:
- Did you have an idea of what 'success' or 'failure' would look like?
- Why OS or community sourcing?
- Was a pre-existing OS community seen to be relevant?
- Who used the OS version of the product?
- Where was the OS product used?
- Why did they use the OS product?
- Are they still using it?
Actors/Involvement:
- How did the idea to OS the product/service come about?
- How did the idea to OS 'get off the ground'?
- How was the argument for OS positioned beside proprietary activities, products or services?
- What role did the various actors play (engineering, services, support, executives, board)?
- What did/do you have to do to get an OS product and community working?
Feeling:
- How did/do you 'feel' about being involved on the OS side?
- How did/do you 'feel' about OS and its relationship to the rest of the business?
- How would you characterise other's 'feelings' about OS?
- Who was identified with the OS side and the OS initiative?
- Why do you think they became identified with OS?
Impact:
- What kind of things were necessary for OS to operate (infrastructure, technology, social environment, market, marketing, people etc)?
- Did the OS demand a different approach to product (software) engineering or any other activities?
- What kinds of resistance were encountered?
- What enabled the OS initiative?
- Did anything arising from the OS initiative impact or drive internal or other proprietary activities (product development, support, services, marketing etc)?
Reflections:
- How have things changed as a consequence of the OS work?
- What can go wrong?
- Would you do it again?
