Open Source

Today we’re proud to open source the System Initiative software under the Apache License version 2.0 - you can find the source on GitHub, and sign up to take it for a spin yourself. We are open sourcing all of the software used in System Initiative - there are no features held back, no competitive restrictions, and no special rights retained that would let us change the game in the future. You can learn more about how this works in our Open Source FAQ.

The System Initiative software is the result of four years of deep engineering and product work by an incredible team. Our ambition wasn’t to make a slightly better version of an existing DevOps tool - it was to find a way to make an order-of-magnitude improvement on the entire experience. System Initiative is designed to embrace the complexity we know lives in your environment - it’s a power tool built for power users. What we’re open sourcing today is a foundational technology strong enough to build a better future on, and we’re very proud of it.

If you’re a DevOps Engineer or Software Developer who thinks it’s time for a second wave of DevOps tooling, and you’re interested in helping to build a better future for yourself, it’s a great time to get involved. There are meaningful contributions to be made and so much we can explore together. If you’re ready to build, we’re ready to build with you.

If you’re looking for a production-grade replacement for your existing DevOps tools, System Initiative isn’t quite ready for you yet - come join us on Discord and sign up for our mailing list, and we will keep you posted on our progress.

Our decision to open source the System Initiative software is based on our belief that this approach gives it the best chance of achieving the transformational impact we envision. If it is to become more than an interesting concept or a successful product - it will be because the software becomes more than just a vehicle for our success. It has to be a vehicle for your success too.

The rights and values inherent in Free and Open Source software are the bedrock of how that happens. You have more than just access to the software - you have the right to use that software to improve your own life in whatever way you need to. Learn from our implementation. Solve problems in your work. Make money with it. Whatever it is - you can do it with our blessing. Our ambition is to transform the way you work, and we aren’t limiting the means or impact that transformation may have on you.

While open source gives each of us the right to do what we want with the software, ensuring we all thrive together requires building a strong community. That starts with empathy - understanding what brings each of us together, what we hope to achieve by participating, and how we can steward this resource together now and in the future. Our deep understanding of one another is how we will build the foundations of trust necessary to ensure we all thrive together.

I’ll go first. My name is Adam. I’m a lifelong Systems Administrator and Software Engineer. I love building software that makes the day-to-day work of running complex infrastructure and applications better. I’m a free and open source software true believer. I’m also an entrepreneur and CEO who builds venture capital backed startups - I love everything about doing that. I like technology, I like people, I like investors, I like sales and marketing. I’m basically a student of the game of building companies. I also like cats, comic books, science fiction and fantasy, beaches, heavy metal music, role playing games, and running.

I want many different things from the System Initiative software. I want to build System Initiative into a massively successful business, generating wealth for my family, co-workers, and investors. I want to make a hugely positive impact on the industry I love working in. I want to make new friends and reconnect with old ones. I want to see how the largest companies in the world work, from the inside. I want to take all the skills I’ve gained over the years and put them to work on ambitious, hard problems. I want to make products that I love, and hopefully other people love. I want to be great at my job. I want a rich and rewarding life lived according to my values. I want to prove that the best way to build a thriving technology business is to embrace the rights and values inherent in open source - that the more we work together for our common interests, the more successful our companies will become.

That’s what I want out of the System Initiative software. That’s why I’m here. Now the question is: what do you want? Why are you here? What will you build? I can’t wait to find out.

• Sign up to try out System Initiative
• Explore the code
• Read the Open Source FAQ