On Wed, 11 Apr 2001 11:29:35 SRadford wrote:
...
>I myself have been working in traditional healthcare software and see open
>source as a way to make a real difference in the market, but to get there I
>need to convince others, i.e. companies (including mine) to put backing
>into it.
Hi Sean,
Unless you are the CEO or Chairman of the board, it is going to be hard to convince
others to buy your business plan. This is not a small decision, this is a major one.
However, if you are convinced that you have a sound business plan - by all means -
start your own project/company. This is what many of us have done.
>And the sorts of investment companies we deal with don't want
>small rewards - but to persuade them to part with their money ones needs a
>strong case.
Unfortunately, there have not been clear examples of financial success yet for you to
cite. All investments are at risk. In the end, if your company is unwilling to take
the risk, there will be plenty of other projects/companies that will to take its
place.
It may not be about small vs. big profit - I see it as a matter of survival.
For example, if your company does not participate - what will happen to it when
FreePM, GEHR, Odyssee and/or OIO become widely adopted?
How will your company be able to sell its proprietary software?
>(Traditional businesses do find it hard to understand how to
>make money when you effectively give 'your' product away).
It is not necessary to give away every single product. However, if you try to compete
against an equivalent or better "free" product, you are in big trouble. This has not
happened yet for most medical software - but that day is coming.
>At a simple
>level, if I don't do some convincing soon I'll be back managing a billed
>project full-time (and the rest) in a couple of weeks - and I'd like to
>keep time for OS work. (and it's only loosely healthcare related) :-(
I suppose when you draw a salary, you must do your employer's bidding. Some of us are
working on open source projects out of our garages and on our own time. If you like to
"invest" in open source yourself, perhaps you can do the same. I can certainly use
more good help on the OIO project :-).
>I hope it doesn't sound like I'm being selfish and trying to take over the
>world.
No. You can try to take over the world for un-selfish reasons :-).
>I'm in it for the love too, and if I can make a decent living from
>doing what I love best (healthcare IT) and make a real difference then I'll
>be even happier. :-)
Certainly "investing" in open source may lead to financial rewards, but as with every
other investment, there is no guarantee that this will happen. If you love it enough
and believe in it enough, then invest. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the show!
Best regards,
Andrew
---
Andrew P. Ho, M.D.
OIO: Open Infrastructure for Outcomes
www.TxOutcome.Org
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Psychiatry, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
University of California, Los Angeles
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