@FediThing Forking an MPL 2.0 project is trivial, you wouldn't have any issue and there are already hundreds of forks on github. The only issue would be with the Penpot trademark, but you can rename it to FediPot if you like it.

@FediThing Forking a project is trivial, yes. Maintaining a fork isn’t. I can fork Penpot with the click of a mouse. I can’t maintain it without setting up a team like you have. I can’t set up a team like you have and compete with you because I don’t have $8M in investment. Again, I’m pretty sure you know this too.

Furthermore, MPL is also excellent for enclosing an open source project because its share alike “protections” are file-level. There’s a reason Penpot isn’t AGPL.

It’s the process I don’t trust because I know how venture capital works and I’m pretty sure you do too (at least I hope you do or you’re in for a rude shock. I don’t say that sarcastically either, I’ve actually met founders who didn’t know what they were giving up by taking VC.)

So, assuming you know how VC works, what’s the return on investment your investors expect for $8M? In other words, what’s the exit you promised them in exchange for $8M?

#ventureCapital #vc #penPot

We promised nothing in return except executing our vision. They promised to fully protect the open source nature of our products. People sometimes think the product itself has to become the basis for any ROI but there are many other ways. But for that we need to build a greater ecosystem. We're focusing on an altruistic game-theory pattern and hoping it'll work in the end. If this becomes big enough $8M will look like peanuts in retrospective, don't you think?

@vegafjord Venture Capital. The thing that fuels surveillance capitalism, Silicon Valley, and startups/Big Tech.

I like your guts!