Twitter, Open Source, DNA and Bread Making

Many commentators, myself included, point to open source as being a route to open innovation in software. Open source licences certainly facilitate the free flow of information and the sharing of resources across organizational boundaries.

However, they do not provide a silver bullet. Collaboration with others is not easy, but there are a few tricks that you can employ in order to accelerate innovation through open source software.

One of the most important things to consider is the scope of your collaborative efforts. It is important to recognise that your complete solution is unique for your needs. Apart from for a few standard applications, such as office suites, it is unlikely that anyone else will find your solutions a sufficient match to their own needs. For this reason it rarely pays to open source your applications as a whole...