Open source development is the lifeblood of modern software. From core libraries to powerful frameworks, the majority of today’s software ecosystem thrives on open collaboration. But while “open source” is often seen as a singular philosophy, there are varying approaches to how it’s authored and maintained — especially when comparing community-driven vs. company-driven open source development.
Having worked extensively on both ends of the spectrum, including projects like TresJS (community-led) and my contributions to Storyblot (company-backed), I’ve gained valuable insight into the unique dynamics, challenges, and benefits of each approach. Here’s what modern open-source authoring really looks like.
The Art of Open Source Authoring
At its core, open source often begins with a personal itch — a problem you face as a developer. You build a tool to solve it, share it on GitHub, and if others find it useful, it slowly turns into a community project. But with popularity comes complexity. You’re no longer solving just your problem. You’re now addressing hundreds, sometimes thousands, of developers’ edge cases, preferences, and demands.
Maintaining simplicity while scaling feature requests is a continuous balancing act.
Community-Driven Open Source: A Case Study with TresJS
Let’s take TresJS — a modern front-end JavaScript library — as a prime example of community-led open source development. It began as a side project, but with a growing user base, it quickly became a collaborative effort. Today, it boasts over 531 issues and 936 pull requests, of which 90% have been merged into production.
This growth didn’t happen in a vacuum. The community fueled it — offering ideas, fixing bugs, and improving documentation. Contributors from around the world shaped TresJS into what it is today. That’s the beauty of open source: collective intelligence.
But It’s Not Without Challenges
With great collaboration comes the challenge of maintaining focus. As more people contribute ideas, the project can drift from its original purpose. You may end up with bloated features, breaking changes, and disagreements about the direction.
Community-led projects require strong maintainers who can filter contributions, enforce coding standards, and stick to the project’s vision — without discouraging contributors.
Company-Driven OSS: Structure Meets Scale
On the flip side, company-backed open source projects are more structured — much like an orchestra with a clear conductor. At Storyblot, we treat open source like product development. There’s a roadmap, dedicated resources, and release cycles. This brings consistency and predictability, especially when software is tightly integrated into business infrastructure.
But company-driven OSS isn’t purely top-down. Many of the innovations I introduced at Storyblot were inspired by community conversations and experiments from TresJS. In this sense, good OSS development is a two-way street — ideas flow between the community and the company.
Navigating the Spectrum: Jazz vs. Orchestra
To me, community OSS feels like jazz — improvised, expressive, and collaborative. Company-driven OSS is more like classical music — well-structured, deliberate, and polished.
Both styles have their place. Jazz leads to surprising breakthroughs. Orchestras deliver consistent performances. The challenge lies in finding harmony — enabling community creativity while maintaining company control and standards.
Modern OSS Challenges: The Breaking Change Dilemma
One of the biggest headaches in modern open source development? Managing breaking changes. Whether you’re a solo developer or part of a large team, maintaining backward compatibility is essential. Users expect stability, even as they demand new features.
Add to that the pressure of keeping documentation up to date, handling dependency updates, and responding to community issues — and you’ve got a full-time job.
Conclusion: Keep Building, Keep Sharing
Whether you’re authoring code from your bedroom or leading a team inside a tech company, open source development is a rewarding journey. Every issue filed, every pull request merged, and every release shipped is a step toward a better, more connected developer ecosystem.
So keep contributing. Keep experimenting. Keep sharing. Your small side project might be the next tool that transforms someone’s workflow — or even an entire industry.