Ever since Kubernetes became a part of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) back in 2016, there has been a massive influx of contributions from various organizations and individuals into the project, as reported by the CNCF. These contributors come from a wide range of backgrounds, including for-profit companies, non-profit organizations, universities, governments, and independent individuals who are not affiliated with any specific organization.
Sharing the cost of innovation
When it comes to finance and product development, the concept of value creation and value capture is often discussed. The Kubernetes project has undeniably created substantial value in the market. Moreover, being involved with the project allows contributors to capture value as well. Whether they are individuals, companies, non-profits, or government entities, being part of the Kubernetes project not only gives them a say in its direction but also enhances their reputation by being associated with a widely adopted and respected technology and community. Similar to working at prestigious companies like Goldman Sachs or Google, contributing to the Kubernetes project for a few years can open up opportunities anywhere.
For businesses, investing in resources like developers, quality engineers, documentation writers, and program managers to work on Kubernetes can lead to significant returns, especially when compared to the costs of developing a similar code base through proprietary means. A proprietary business might spend $100 million on research and development to generate a $200 million return from product sales. On the other hand, an open-source business could invest $20 million, with other organizations contributing the remaining $80 million, yet still achieve a $200 million return. Many businesses in the $100 million to $300 million range have been built on open source technologies, highlighting the benefits of shared R&D funding for code bases.
