TAKES · Greg answers

Should we open source it?

Should we open source it?“Start with the SDK. You can always open more, never less.”Greg Hollis, The Hedger

💡 WHY GREG IS RIGHT

Publishing is one of the few software decisions that cannot be reversed: once code is public under an open license, forks exist forever. Starting with the narrowest useful piece, an SDK, a client library or an API spec, tests whether outsiders care while keeping the core decision open. If a community grows, the team can open more with confidence. If it does not, nothing irreversible was given away.

✅ RIGHT WHEN

The core is commercially sensitive and the value of opening it is still uncertain.

🚩 TOO FAR WHEN

Three years later only the SDK is public, and it calls an API nobody else can run.

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