Exploring the European Open Source Ecosystem with Markus Düttmann

The Business of Open Source

Markus Düttmann, a former Principal at Nauta Capital, is steeped in the European open source scene. From his beginnings in theoretical physics, Düttmann’s hard pivot into venture capital funding granted him a spot in the developing tech world as a connoisseur of the culture and a champion for start-ups. He even contributed to Nauta Capital’s European Open Source Report detailing the state of the ecosystem as of October 2022.

On this episode of the Business of Open Source, listen to his insight into the European markets, the various business models generally used for open source start-ups, and what he looks for in an open source start-up.

Note: Markus has since left Nauta and is on paternity leave. He also asked me to add a follow-up to the episode: After thinking more about the biggest danger to open source companies, he thinks most of them will fail from problems like not building the right team, failure to find product market fit and/or failure to monetize. Hyperscalers are a danger, but probably won’t be what causes most startups to fail.

Highlights:

• The unique qualities of the European open source ecosystem (2:20)
• European market vs. the American Market in terms of funding (3:45)
• Advantages and disadvantages of a European open source company (4:40)
• Navigating the use of different business models within a business (8:14)
• How Markus evaluates open source start-ups (11:46)
• Don't be the open source version of an existing enterprise company (16:14)
• Signs of a company worth investing in (16:45)
• Potential risks to the open source ecosystem in the coming years (19:24)

Links:

Markus

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Nauta Capital
• European Open Source Report