Not invented here

#22 Illusion of control

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All modern systems are built out of components. Those components can come in different forms: 3rd-party proprietary, open source and developed in-house. Open source seems to be the most popular option nowadays and one may think that using open-source components is an all-around win. It is a win, but not all-around.

3rd-party proprietary
  • minimal initial effort to start getting benefits from the component: some learning curve, but no heavy lifting with development
  • all encompassing solution with features you do not need but still have to deal with
  • fairly good understanding of costs related to getting maintenance for the component over time
  • minimal control over direction of development
  • possible dead ends because of lack of transparency
    • DIY components
    • tightly focused solution that delivers exactly what you need
    • significant upfront costs and long and, maybe, costly further maintenance
    • with all that comes full control over the direction of development
    • draws resources and attention from the core competency
      • Open source
      • ready-made solution that requires minimal to start using
      • free basic maintenance by the comunity
      • solution with wide focus and sometimes “half way there” functionality
      • illusion of control induced by the fact that source can be forked and taken in-house

        • Check out Dima’s blog

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        Not invented hereBy Sonar.1
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