Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#1

Post by amadeoeoeo » Fri, Jun 27, 2025, 4:23 PM UTC

After 5 years of building and fighting for our startup, we’ve reached the end — the product will be shut down soon. I won’t mention names to keep this from sounding promotional. Let’s just say it’s a kind of website builder.

We’ve tried (unsuccessfully) to sell the codebase. Meanwhile, some of our most loyal users are now asking us to open source it. Part of me feels this would be a meaningful way to give back and ensure the project doesn’t completely disappear.

However, I can also foresee a lot of technical and legal complications, not to mention potential maintenance burdens.

Has anyone here been through this before? Any lessons, regrets, or advice?

Thanks a lot in advance!

(AI used to improve spelling)

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#2

Post by throwawayffffas » Fri, Jun 27, 2025, 4:29 PM UTC

Open source but make it clear that the project will not receive any updates. If any of your clients want to pick it up they will be able to fork it.

> Legal complications

If your code was written by you and you are not infringing on any patents and you don't have any client data in your repos, you should be fine I guess, but I am not a lawyer.

Just make it MIT and open it to the public. Make sure there are no keys or credentials in the repos either.

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#3

Post by five9s » Fri, Jun 27, 2025, 4:33 PM UTC

I think it could be a nice emotional ending to the journey if that's where you are. At least it's 'out there' in the world and you can move on. I'll be a one time effort to get it out there, but then can be community supported.

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#4

Post by almosthere » Fri, Jun 27, 2025, 4:53 PM UTC

See if you can auction it off - at least you'll make some money that way.

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#5

Post by sexyman48 » Fri, Jun 27, 2025, 4:58 PM UTC

I wouldn't do it. It'd be like a dead lover. Don't get suckered into prettying up her corpse on the off chance your opinion of necrophilia changes.

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#6

Post by amadeoeoeo » Fri, Jun 27, 2025, 5:21 PM UTC

sexyman48 wrote: post #5

I wouldn't do it. It'd be like a dead lover. Don't get suckered into prettying up her corpse on the off chance your opinion of necrophilia changes.

lol. To be clear I like her the way she is... It did not work financially but I believe it is a neat piece of code. I keep "using it" myself regularly ;)

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#7

Post by amadeoeoeo » Fri, Jun 27, 2025, 5:24 PM UTC

throwawayffffas wrote: post #2

Open source but make it clear that the project will not receive any updates. If any of your clients want to pick it up they will be able to fork it. > Legal complications If your code was written by you and you are not infringing on any patents and you don't have any client data in your repos, you should be fine I guess, but I am not a lawyer. Just make it MIT and open it to the public. Make sure there are no keys or…

Thanks for the advice. One fear I have is about security. Is the code is exposed, it will be way easier to exploit potential security flaws... I will not be able to just do nothing if this is the case .. Ill end up wanting it.

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#8

Post by Flundstrom2 » Fri, Jun 27, 2025, 5:29 PM UTC

I would suggest putting it out as open source with a permissive license that don't require upstream commitment.

Because you don't want to become a maintainer. Just make it clear that it is provided as-is, without support.

It does after all represent a lot of value having been poured into it, worthy of a better ending than rm -rf, even if it didn't reach break-even.

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#9

Post by ezekg » Fri, Jun 27, 2025, 6:54 PM UTC

amadeoeoeo wrote: post #7

throwawayffffas wrote: post #2

Open source but make it clear that the project will not receive any updates. If any of your clients want to pick it up they will be able to fork it. > Legal complications If your code was written by you and you are not infringing on any patents and you don't have any client data in your repos, you should be fine I guess, but I am not a lawyer. Just make it MIT and open it to the public. Make sure there are no keys or…

Thanks for the advice. One fear I have is about security. Is the code is exposed, it will be way easier to exploit potential security flaws... I will not be able to just do nothing if this is the case .. Ill end up wanting it.

What's to exploit? The company won't exist anymore...

Re: Ask HN: Startup shutting down, should we open source?

#10

Post by amadeoeoeo » Fri, Jun 27, 2025, 7:38 PM UTC

ezekg wrote: post #9

amadeoeoeo wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for the advice. One fear I have is about security. Is the code is exposed, it will be way easier to exploit potential security flaws... I will not be able to just do nothing if this is the case .. Ill end up wanting it.

What's to exploit? The company won't exist anymore...

People's servers hosting it. I will not be officially responsible but anyway not nice. I may be just paranoid