Open-Source Ethics and Monetization with Chris Coyier

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Chris Coyier about the complexities of open-source, balancing community contributions with monetization, the quirks of modern web development, and creative approaches to building sustainable tech projects.

In this episode:

• (00:00) Intro
• (01:02) Podcast recording and All Things Open
• (04:10) Wine tasting: Brunello di Montalcino Annata 2018
• (04:41) CSS and styling challenges
• (11:02) Open source licensing
• (22:24) Feature flags and pricing models
• (27:28) 90s nostalgia
• (32:19) Is open source worth it?
• (39:53) Why dev hiring is broken
• (45:21) Famous forks
• (49:26) WordPress drama
• (54:58) Plugs

• RodeCaster Pro II: https://rode.com/en-us/interfaces-and-mixers/- rodecaster-series/rodecaster-pro-ii/
• All Things Open: https://2024.allthingsopen.org/
• ShopTalk Show: https://shoptalkshow.com/
• Audigo: https://www.audigolabs.com/
• Shepherd: https://www.shepherdjs.dev/
• CodePen: https://codepen.io/
• Intro.js: https://introjs.com/
• Supabase: https://supabase.com
• PostHog: https://posthog.com/
• Sentry: https://Sentry.io/
• LaunchDarkly: https://launchdarkly.com/
• Nirvana: https://www.nirvana.com/
• Kurt Cobain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Cobain/
• Pearl Jam: https://pearljam.com/
• Coldplay: https://www.coldplay.com/
• Phish: https://phish.com/
• Ray LaMontagne: https://www.raylamontagne.com/
• Ember: https://emberjs.com
• LeetCode: https://leetcode.com/
• Homebrew: https://brew.sh/
• Adam Argyle: https://x.com/argyleink/
• Wufoo: https://www.wufoo.com/
• CodeCrafters: https://codecrafters.io/
• PearAI: https://trypear.ai/
• Godot: https://godotengine.org/
• iojs: https://github.com/nodejs/iojs.org/
• WordPress: https://wordpress.org
• Matt Mullenweg: https://x.com/photomatt/
• Jetpack: https://jetpack.com/
• Astro: https://astro.build/
• DHH: https://x.com/dhh/

• Website: https://chriscoyier.net/
• X / Twitter: https://x.com/chriscoyier
• CodePen: https://codepen.io/

• Robbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagner
• Chuck Carpenter: https://x.com/CharlesWthe3rd

• Website: https://whiskey.fm
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/id1552776603
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19jiuHAqzeKnkleQUpZxDf
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1552776603
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyWebAndWhatnot

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

Veteran web developers RobbieTheWagner, Charles William Carpenter III, and Adam Argyle host this informal, whiskey-fueled fireside chat with your favorite web devs. They discuss all things web development including JavaScript, TypeScript, EmberJS, React, Astro, SolidJS, CSS, HTML, Web3, and more. They take a unique approach and focus on getting to know the human side of developers and their hobbies outside of work, all while sampling a new whiskey that they rate on their unique tentacle scale.