Ep. 103 - Open-Source Automation: Dan Funk

There has been a lot of consolidation in the process/architecture space in the last few years, mostly driven by PE firms. But why is that so, and why does it seem that there is no alternative to this business model?
Back in the day there were foundations behind the companies, or they were privately held, and the only thing (besides a few smaller players you might not even have heard of) that I see are some open-source projects in the automation space … mostly driven by the decision to go closed-source by Camunda.

One of these projects is SpiffWorks, and we invited the CEO of the company behind it, Dan Funk, to our little show. He is an expert in identifying organizational and technological patterns, using visualizations and written communication to build consensus around technical directions. Dan is committed to aligning technology initiatives with business objectives, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and mentoring engineering talent.

Dan is also a thought leader and co-authored numerous publications as the technical lead for a web-based research application promoting healthier patterns of thinking using interpretation bias training. In addition to this, Dan is the co-founder of the Makerplace in Staunton, VA, where he established a makerspace offering low-cost access to state-of-the-art electronics tools, laser cutters, CNC machines, a pottery studio, and woodworking equipment.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about:

• Dan's background
• Open-source projects require community support to thrive—SpiffWorks aims to bridge the gap between business and technical teams; Python is chosen for its readability and ease of use in process automation.
• Building a sustainable open-source project involves finding a viable business model, and community engagement is crucial for the success of open-source initiatives.
• Open-source software is foundational to modern technology infrastructure.
• The future of process automation lies in making technology accessible to non-technical users.
• Effective communication is key to resolving conflicts between business and technical teams.
• The open-source model can be compared to a city with shared infrastructure. Support for open-source projects can (and should) come from larger companies benefiting from them.

You can take a look at Spiff Works at https://spiff.works/ and reach out to Dan via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/funkdan/.

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