Episode 162: The diapers.com effect, also, LTS and the mysteries of software pricing

Software Defined Talk

English - January 18, 2019 09:00 - 1 hour - 29.6 MB - ★★★★★ - 64 ratings
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Previous Episode: Episode 161: “Dad Mode Wins”

Next Episode: Episode 163: 5 things Obama doesn’t want you to know about scorecards

Are we still on that open source licensing thing? Yes. “The most boring topic of all time.” Also, Slack's logo and long term support software monetization models: how do they work?
Summary:
“Diapers.com buster (AKA Amazon)”
“What is someone really selling with LTS?”
“Artful genitals.”
“It’s not butt ducks”
“I’ve had three dogs since then…”
Microsoft laughed.
This week’s cover art from TheNextWeb (https://thenextweb.com/apps/2019/01/16/slack-has-a-new-logo-and-umm-you-be-the-judge/).
MONGO, MONGO, MONGO!
MongoDB Issues New Server Side Public License for MongoDB Community Server (https://www.mongodb.com/press/mongodb-issues-new-server-side-public-license-for-mongodb-community-server)
MongoDB not in RHEL 8.0 (https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/8-beta/html/8.0_beta_release_notes/new-features#web_servers_databases_dynamic_languages_2)
MongoDB "open-source" Server Side Public License rejected (https://www.zdnet.com/article/mongodb-open-source-server-side-public-license-rejected/)
AWS vs. open source: DocumentDB is the latest battlefront (https://www.infoworld.com/article/3331903/database/aws-vs-open-source-documentdb-is-the-latest-battlefront.html)
AWS gives open source the middle finger (https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/09/aws-gives-open-source-the-middle-finger/)
AWS, MongoDB, and the Economic Realities of Open Source (https://stratechery.com/2019/aws-mongodb-and-the-economic-realities-of-open-source/) (Ben Thompson)
Fine, fine…but music companies didn’t “sell” CDs, they sold music. Authors don’t “sell” printed books, they sell stories. They sell IP. The medium isn’t the product.
“This trade-off is inescapable, and it is fair to wonder if the golden age of VC-funded open source companies will start to fade (although not open source generally). The monetization model depends on the friction of on-premise software; once cloud computing is dominant, the economic model is much more challenging.”
There’s some ponderous gyrating between public cloud being good at managed hosting/services (they run the stuff well) vs. software (their features are unique/good).
Ben’s follow-up (https://stratechery.com/2019/mongodb-follow-up-aws-incentives-batteries-the-iphones-missing-miss/#memberful_done) (subscription required):
“ Atlas was only 8% of total revenue last year, which grew 57% year-over-year; that means that Atlas itself grew 330% year-over-year, from $3.3 million to $14.3 million. Of course cost of revenue grew 68% as well, thanks to a $4.1 million increase in hosting costs (AWS wins either way), but particularly given the addition of a free Atlas offering, those costs aren’t out of line.”
So, with this “SSPL” thing, AWS would have to open source all of itself, or just the DocumentDB part?
Here (https://www.zdnet.com/article/mongodb-open-source-server-side-public-license-rejected/): “The specific objection is that SSPL requires, if you offer services licensed under it, that you must open-source all programs that you use to make the software available as a service.
From Mongo’s press release on SSPL, Oct. 2018 (https://www.mongodb.com/press/mongodb-issues-new-server-side-public-license-for-mongodb-community-server): “The only substantive change is an explicit condition that any organization attempting to exploit MongoDB as a service must open source the software that it uses to offer such service.”
What would happen if AWS was all open source? Given that few companies could use OpenStack or make their own clouds (even with cloud.com and such), just having the code matters little to a successful cloud business, right?
Or, maybe it doesn’t mean all of AWS, just the DocumentDB part. Which is, really, the in the spirit of the GPL.
The competitive tactic of forcing competitors to open source their stuff is weird.
Relevant to your interests
Amazon reportedly acquired Israeli disaster recovery service CloudEndure for around $200M (https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/08/amazon-reportedly-acquired-israeli-disaster-recovery-service-cloudendure-for-around-200m/)
AWS makes another acquisition grabbing TSO Logic (https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/15/aws-makes-another-acquisition-grabbing-tso-logic/)
IBM Just Unveiled The First Commercial Quantum Computer (https://www.sciencealert.com/ibm-unveils-a-quantum-computer-that-will-be-available-to-businesses)
“Watson! Whatever happened to ‘unikernal’?” Is that one in the bag and this is the new thing?
Announcing TriggerMesh Knative Lambda Runtime (KLR) | Multicloud Serverless Management Platform (https://triggermesh.com/2019/01/09/announcing-triggermesh-knative-lambda-runtime-klr/)
Serverless computing: one step forward, two steps back (https://blog.acolyer.org/2019/01/14/serverless-computing-one-step-forward-two-steps-back/)
Day Two Kubernetes: Tools for Operability (https://www.infoq.com/presentations/kubernetes-tools)
Taking the smarts out of smart TVs would make them more expensive (https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/7/18172397/airplay-2-homekit-vizio-tv-bill-baxter-interview-vergecast-ces-2019)
OneLogin snares $100M investment to expand identity solution into new markets (https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/10/onelogin-snares-100m-investment-to-expand-identity-solution-into-new-markets/)
Want to get rich from bug bounties? You're better off exterminating roaches for a living (http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2019/01/15/bugs_bounty_salary/)
Direct Listings Are a Thing Now (https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-01-11/direct-listings-are-a-thing-now)
Software Maker PagerDuty Files Confidentially for IPO (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-15/software-maker-pagerduty-is-said-to-file-confidentially-for-ipo)
Slack’s Financials Ahead of Listing Plans (https://www.theinformation.com/articles/slacks-financials-ahead-of-listing-plans) - “As of October 2018, the firm had roughly $900 million in cash on its balance sheet.”
Fiserve buying FirstData for $22bn (https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/16/fiserv-is-buying-first-data-in-a-22b-fintech-megadeal/?guccounter=1) - FundsXpress (https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/fundsxpress)!
The 773 Million Record "Collection #1" Data Breach (https://www.troyhunt.com/the-773-million-record-collection-1-data-reach/)
AWS launches Backup, a fully-managed backup service for AWS (https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/16/aws-launches-backup-to-let-you-back-up-your-on-premises-and-aws-data-to-aws/)
## Non Sense
The WELL: State of the World 2019 (https://people.well.com/conf/inkwell.vue/topics/506/State-of-the-World-2019-page01.html)
Apple reportedly replaced about 10 times more iPhone batteries than it expected to (https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/15/apple-upgraded-10-to-11-million-batteries-according-to-report.html)
Say hello, new logo (https://slackhq.com/say-hello-new-logo)
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Conferences, et. al.
2019, a city near you: The 2019 SpringTours are posted (http://springonetour.io/). Coté will be speaking at many of these, hopefully all the ones in EMEA. They’re free and all about programming and DevOps things. Free lunch and stickers!
Jan 28th to 29th, 2019 - SpringOne Tour Charlotte (https://springonetour.io/2019/charlotte), $50 off with the code S1Tour2019_100.
Feb 12th to 13th, 2019 - SpringOne Tour St. Louis (https://springonetour.io/2019/st-louis). $50 off the code S1Tour2019_100.
Mar 7th to 8th, 2019 - Incontro DevOps in Bologna (https://2019.incontrodevops.it/), Coté speaking.
Mar 18th to 19th, 2019 - SpringOne Tour London (https://springonetour.io/2019/london). Get £50 off ticket price of £150 with the code S1Tour2019_100.
Mar 21st to 2nd, 2019 (https://springonetour.io/2019/amsterdam) - SpringOne Tour Amsterdam. Get €50 off ticket price of €150 with the code S1Tour2019_100.
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Recommendations
Matt: Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HQA6EOC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1).
Brandon: DIRECTV Alexa skill (https://www.amazon.com/DIRECTV-LLC/dp/B07FDNYMB6).
Coté: Peak (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29369213-peak), but read in, like 4x mode. Summary: (1.) Model the thing learned, (2.) focused exercises, (3.) coaching, (3.) using feedback loops to improve, (4.) stretching yourself. Derry Girls (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derry_Girls).

Are we still on that open source licensing thing? Yes. “The most boring topic of all time.” Also, Slack's logo and long term support software monetization models: how do they work?

Summary:

“Diapers.com buster (AKA Amazon)”
“What is someone really selling with LTS?”
“Artful genitals.”
“It’s not butt ducks”
“I’ve had three dogs since then…”
Microsoft laughed.

This week’s cover art from TheNextWeb.

MONGO, MONGO, MONGO!

MongoDB Issues New Server Side Public License for MongoDB Community Server
MongoDB not in RHEL 8.0
MongoDB "open-source" Server Side Public License rejected
AWS vs. open source: DocumentDB is the latest battlefront
AWS gives open source the middle finger
AWS, MongoDB, and the Economic Realities of Open Source (Ben Thompson)
Fine, fine…but music companies didn’t “sell” CDs, they sold music. Authors don’t “sell” printed books, they sell stories. They sell IP. The medium isn’t the product.

“This trade-off is inescapable, and it is fair to wonder if the golden age of VC-funded open source companies will start to fade (although not open source generally). The monetization model depends on the friction of on-premise software; once cloud computing is dominant, the economic model is much more challenging.”
There’s some ponderous gyrating between public cloud being good at managed hosting/services (they run the stuff well) vs. software (their features are unique/good).

Ben’s follow-up (subscription required):

“ Atlas was only 8% of total revenue last year, which grew 57% year-over-year; that means that Atlas itself grew 330% year-over-year, from $3.3 million to $14.3 million. Of course cost of revenue grew 68% as well, thanks to a $4.1 million increase in hosting costs (AWS wins either way), but particularly given the addition of a free Atlas offering, those costs aren’t out of line.”

So, with this “SSPL” thing, AWS would have to open source all of itself, or just the DocumentDB part?

Here: “The specific objection is that SSPL requires, if you offer services licensed under it, that you must open-source all programs that you use to make the software available as a service.
From Mongo’s press release on SSPL, Oct. 2018: “The only substantive change is an explicit condition that any organization attempting to exploit MongoDB as a service must open source the software that it uses to offer such service.”

What would happen if AWS was all open source? Given that few companies could use OpenStack or make their own clouds (even with cloud.com and such), just having the code matters little to a successful cloud business, right?

Or, maybe it doesn’t mean all of AWS, just the DocumentDB part. Which is, really, the in the spirit of the GPL.

The competitive tactic of forcing competitors to open source their stuff is weird.

Relevant to your interests

Amazon reportedly acquired Israeli disaster recovery service CloudEndure for around $200M
AWS makes another acquisition grabbing TSO Logic
IBM Just Unveiled The First Commercial Quantum Computer

“Watson! Whatever happened to ‘unikernal’?” Is that one in the bag and this is the new thing?

Announcing TriggerMesh Knative Lambda Runtime (KLR) | Multicloud Serverless Management Platform
Serverless computing: one step forward, two steps back
Day Two Kubernetes: Tools for Operability
Taking the smarts out of smart TVs would make them more expensive
OneLogin snares $100M investment to expand identity solution into new markets
Want to get rich from bug bounties? You're better off exterminating roaches for a living
Direct Listings Are a Thing Now
Software Maker PagerDuty Files Confidentially for IPO
Slack’s Financials Ahead of Listing Plans - “As of October 2018, the firm had roughly $900 million in cash on its balance sheet.”
Fiserve buying FirstData for $22bn - FundsXpress!
The 773 Million Record "Collection #1" Data Breach
AWS launches Backup, a fully-managed backup service for AWS
## Non Sense
The WELL: State of the World 2019
Apple reportedly replaced about 10 times more iPhone batteries than it expected to
Say hello, new logo

Twitter Mentions

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