Episode 225: OSCA 2023 with Subomi Oluwalana on Convoy

Guest Subomi Oluwalana Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes On
today’s episode, Richard engages in a conversation with Subomi
Oluwalana, Co-founder and CEO of Convoy, an innovative company
specializing in open source Webhooks gateway solutions akin to Kong
but focused on Webhooks, with features like rate limiting and
circuit breaking. He delves into the intricacies of balancing a
genuine open source philosophy with profitability drawing parallels
with GitLab’s model and emphasizes the importance of community and
transparency in open source projects. The discussion also covers
Convoy’s positive reception in Nigeria, Subomi’s distinctive
experience with Y Combinator, his thoughts on the evolving
perceptions of open source as a business model, and advice for
aspiring open source entrepreneurs. Press download now to hear
more! [00:01:14] Subomi tells us about Convoy, and he describes
Convoy’s service as analogous to Kong but for Webhooks,
highlighting its functionalities. [00:01:52] Richard questions
Subomi about Convoy’s open source model and what aspects remain
proprietary, and he discusses the balance between being genuinely
open source and profitable. [00:03:12] The conversation shifts to
community importance in open source projects, with Subomi
explaining the wide range of developers Convoy serves. [00:04:56]
Richard sites Subomi’s blog post on sustainability and questions
how Convoy maintains its product market while ensuring the
sustainability of its open source project. Subomi speaks on the
delicate balance of stewardship in open source, advocating for
transparency and a clear understanding between the community and
the company. [00:08:07] Richard steers the discussion towards the
role of VC funders and Y Combinator’s support for open source
projects. Subomi describes Y Combinator’s growing openness to open
source companies and the changing perceptions of open source as a
viable business model. [00:09:17] The conversation touches upon
Subomi’s unique experience as a Nigerian company in Y Combinator,
particularly as a DevTools company. [00:11:07] Subomi shares the
positive response Convoy has received in Nigeria, detailing their
engagement with the local tech ecosystem. [00:11:40] Richard asks
for Subomi’s advice for those in the OSCA or developing countries
looking to start an open source business. [00:13:06] Find out where
you can learn more about Subomi and Convoy on the web. Quotes
[00:02:11] “We wanted to be open source, but we also wanted to make
money.” [00:05:03] “Open Source is the ultimate form of
sustainability. 92% of SaaS companies fail regardless of funding or
growth. Failure of your business should not bring down my
infrastructure, nor force me to redesign my system architecture
when I’m not ready to do so. Providing open source software is the
highest form of care for sustainability for your users.” [00:06:57]
“It’s very important to be transparent with the community with the
direction you are taking. That, in my opinion is the biggest
problem that we face as open source founders.” [00:08:15] “Y
Combinator has become a good home for open source companies.”
[00:09:23] “There hasn’t been any open source DevTools company from
Nigeria in YC.” [00:12:32] “The abstractions you think are needed
in your organization are most probably needed elsewhere.” Links
SustainOSS (https://sustainoss.org/) SustainOSS Twitter
(https://twitter.com/SustainOSS?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor)
SustainOSS Discourse (https://discourse.sustainoss.org/)
podcast@sustainoss.org (mailto:podcast@sustainoss.org) SustainOSS
Mastodon (https://mastodon.social/tags/sustainoss) Open
Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute)
(https://opencollective.com/sustainoss) Richard Littauer Mastodon
(https://mastodon.social/@richlitt) Richard Littauer email
(mailto:richard.littauer@gmail.com) Richard Littauer Sustain
(mailto:richard@sustainoss.org) Richard Littauer blog email
(mailto:richard@burntfen.com) Subomi Oluwalana X/Twitter
(https://twitter.com/subomiOluwalana) Subomi Oluwalana LinkedIn
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/subomi-oluwalana-one/) Convoy
(https://getconvoy.io/) Why Open Source? by Subomi Oluwalana
(Convoy blog) (https://getconvoy.io/blog/why-open-source) Y
Combinator (https://www.ycombinator.com/) Credits Produced by
Richard Littauer (https://www.burntfen.com/) Edited by Paul M. Bahr
at Peachtree Sound (https://www.peachtreesound.com/) Show notes by
DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound (https://www.peachtreesound.com/)
Special Guest: Subomi Oluwalana.