Open Core Ventures

Building venture-scale open core

There is no perfect playbook, but there are proven strategies you can use to build open core businesses that scale while maintaining the trust of the…

Jul 2 • Sid Sijbrandij

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June 2026

Software is being rebuilt for agents, MCP is winning, and the tooling is still early

The internet's front door has moved from browsers and search bars to AI agents like Claude and ChatGPT. MCP is the protocol defining how those agents…

Jun 11 • Richard Aberman

Betting on open source agents

Agents are becoming the most trusted software layer. But to build them right, they need to be open, secure, and accessible.

Jun 11 • Mark Wasuwanich

Don't listen to potential customers "if only" requests

Prioritize feedback from your heaviest users, not potential customers—true product growth comes from iterating on real user needs, not chasing every…

Jun 9 • Sid Sijbrandij

The problem with paid marketing

Paid acquisition is a multiplier, not a foundation, and most early-stage founders turn it on too soon. A multiplier built on a weak foundation can do…

Jun 5 • Richard Aberman

OCV’s new source available license is a simple alternative to closed-source licenses

Open Core Ventures Source Available Licenses (OCVSAL) is designed to protect the proprietary components of an open core codebase while enabling code…

Jun 1 • Open Core Ventures

May 2026

Don’t listen to feedback from VCs who pass on investing

VCs who pass on investing often give vague or risk-averse feedback—ignore it and focus on improving your pitch, not pivoting your business based on…

May 20 • Sid Sijbrandij

Buyer based open core: A pricing framework

A buyer-based pricing model makes open core sustainable, balancing business growth with open-source contributions while avoiding bait-and-switch…

May 18 • Sid Sijbrandij

April 2026

Why AI is the cheat code for open source

AI coding agents are unleashing a wave of open source contributors, creating a flywheel that will displace closed-source vertical SaaS.

Apr 16 • Richard Aberman

March 2026

We hired a Gobii AI agent to manage OCV's tedious, repetitive FinOps tasks

We stopped doing manual portfolio audits and handed those tasks to AI agents. Here's an honest look at what we built, how it works, and how much time…

Mar 30 • Will Xu

October 2025

Selora Homes launches to bring professional home installation and support to Home Assistant

Open Core Ventures (OCV) is proud to announce the launch of Selora Homes, built on the open source project Home Assistant, the most widely used open…

Oct 3, 2025 • Open Core Ventures