Instagram is worth $50Billion

Because open-source software doesn't need to be profitable because digital distrobution can be handled by a small team cost efficiently

>>59593596
>Open source apps
>high value

Because most normies don't even know what open source means. A market is only as profitable as it's target audience is wide.

This is why devs eat up open source shit. Because they can make money off an idea that normies can't even conceive.

>>59593596
because everyone would fork it

>>59593596
firefox

>>59593782
Except it wouldn't matter because it is all about the hosting, the service, anyway. Not everyone can host a huge service like that. Someone could make an Instagram fork but it'd mean jack shit as long as Instagram did their hosting well, they'd still have their users.

Telegram does make their client software free, but not the server side, for example.

The real reason is: there's no point in making it open source. The consumers mostly don't care. They can handle the development without some random nerds providing more code.

>>59593596
>successful open source

I would buy said app, and use it to make profit
or just patent it and force the developers out of it

Well there are but they aren't really open source. Perhaps portions of them are, but largely they remain closed and actually make money unlock social media platforms which lose a lot of money.

>>59595832
This.
Mozilla's revenue is more than 300M$ annually.

New generation needing product that defines their identity.

>>59597179
Nice figure you got there google.

>>59595832
he said high quality

>>59593596
it really is all in the backend. You can't expect your average consumer to roll a self-hosted solution, and every investor, client and mother wants their data in the cloud.

So you write an app, maybe open source the client or do a good writeup on the API, but the value is still mostly based on either
A: ad space, or
B: taking a cut of any transactions that happen under your service.

Hard to keep a hold of that (potential) money if you decentralize your service.

>>59593596

Linux.

Also this: >>59593705 . You do not benefit from opening the source of the program which sells fine. You can only benefit it if you need other people to use it, see Linux, Qt, Redhat etc.

Because people who make open source software usually dont worry about making it look all nice and normie friendly for the most part. OSS software is just made for a difference kind of user.