Common Causes of Open Source Project Failure and How to Avoid Them

One thing about open source is that even the failures contribute to the next thing that comes up. Unlike a company that could spend a million dollars in two years and fail and there’s nothing really to show for it, if you spend a million dollars on open source, you probably have something amazing that other people can build on. –Matt Mullenweg

In open source software development, one man’s failed project can be another man’s next successful project. As Matt Mullenweg has pointed out, failed projects can be the basis upon which other, more successful projects can be founded and developed.

But no matter how much of a boon one failed project may provide another, it’s still a loss for at least one person- the founder of the failed project. Between the person who spends a million dollars and fails and the person who spends the same and succeeds, you definitely don’t want to be the former! And the best way to avoid such failure is to see it coming.

Identifying the Common Causes of Failure

To see failure coming is to spot the causes. There are various causes of project failure, the most common being:

• The developer loses interest. This loss of interest can stem from a number of things- the developer may have already stagnated with the project, is tired of the users’ demands, or is looking to focus on other opportunities. And without a maintainer to follow him, the project will inevitably be abandoned.
• Lack of resources. Despite the “free” label, open source software development can take up a lot of resources: manpower, time and money. If there aren’t enough of these resources to support the project, abandonment will be likely.
• Misunderstandings within the project team. If the project is worked on by people who disagree on a number of things, there is a high possibility of division among team members and the project being forked. If however the team is too fragmented and the misunderstanding too great, the project may not continue at all.
• The project lagging behind. This could be in terms of technology, competition, or both. Technology is constantly evolving and with it, users’ expectations and demands. If a project doesn’t keep up or falls behind its competitors, it will eventually become obsolete.
• The project becoming too big. Another possible cause of project failure is when it gets too big for the current developers and no one else steps in to help.
• No standards or quality control. Be it in documentation, execution or support.
• Legal problems. Very few open source projects can survive legal challenges, especially against large companies.

How to Avoid Them?

Sometimes, there’s just no avoiding the disintegration of a good project. When you see the causes coming however, there are still some things you can do to save the project at the most, and soften the blow of the loss at the very least.

1. Ask for help. Asking for help from your community can solve a lot of project problems. When you start having difficulty managing the project on your own, you can ask the community for help maintaining it or ask them to fork it. If there’s a roadblock you can’t solve on your own, present it to the community and see if they can come up with a solution. If you need resources, the community can help you there too. Of course, this will require a great deal of humility and willingness to ask for assistance on your part.
2. Innovate. If your project is stagnating, do what you need to do in order to keep it moving and keep the software improving. This may require additional work, research, learning new technologies and asking for help or input from other developers.
3. Communicate. Miscommunication is a leading cause of misunderstanding, which in turn causes a host of problems for projects. Make sure you are able to openly exchange ideas with your team and listen to and share with your community as well.
4. Always be aware. There may be more than one reason why your project is failing. Always be aware of the major factors affecting your project, and learn to accept when things are no longer within your control. Accepting that you may no longer be interested in a project or that it is becoming too big for you for instance, will allow you to seek help sooner and increase the chances of saving the project.