WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:28.000 What have I told you that in 25 minutes, you will be ready to join the first revolution and to contribute to our digital independence. 00:30.000 --> 00:44.000 My name is Rosanna and I'm a digital product leader. I help people break free from vendor lock-in and build digital resilience. 00:44.000 --> 00:52.000 I remember that day when one of my sea level colleagues called me and said with a very sad and disappointed voice. 00:52.000 --> 00:57.000 Rosanna, we had another secured incident. 00:57.000 --> 01:06.000 Be sounded helpless. This third party company providing close or solution not only build seven figure 01:06.000 --> 01:14.000 invoices that cost secured incidents frequently. My colleague kind of challenged me and my team by asking, 01:14.000 --> 01:20.000 Rosanna, do you think you would be able to propose an alternative solution? 01:20.000 --> 01:26.000 The use case was very specific and not something where I would have had an unsell on the palm of my hand. 01:26.000 --> 01:32.000 Together with my colleagues, we started the research, but we didn't find anything satisfying on the open source site. 01:32.000 --> 01:40.000 Some of my team members even pitched the idea to stay on the closed source site, probably because of convenience, 01:40.000 --> 01:44.000 but this was not aligned with our principles. 01:44.000 --> 01:50.000 One of our principles was we prioritized the usual open source of a closed source. 01:50.000 --> 01:59.000 And if you are serious about your principles, you don't compromise on them just after having some tiny difficulties. 01:59.000 --> 02:05.000 Either you have personal principles or not. And especially in my role as a leader, 02:05.000 --> 02:11.000 it was my job to remind my colleagues what really matters. So we didn't leave up. 02:11.000 --> 02:18.000 On my way home, I wondered who my teams might be familiar with this very specific technology. 02:18.000 --> 02:20.000 Suddenly, I thought of Nellie. 02:20.000 --> 02:27.000 An open source human at heart. I called her and asked, hey, do you know anyone who is familiar with this stuff? 02:27.000 --> 02:29.000 She replied, sure. 02:29.000 --> 02:35.000 My colleague, me was an expert in the technology. So I asked if we could build something together. 02:35.000 --> 02:40.000 And without hesitation, she answered, sure, I will be very cold, bye, and she hung up. 02:40.000 --> 02:50.000 This was literally the whole conversation and how the idea of commissioning an entirely new open source project was born. 02:50.000 --> 02:56.000 Digital sovereignty isn't just a technical topic. 02:56.000 --> 03:03.000 Digital sovereignty is an important foundation of our democracy and freedom. 03:03.000 --> 03:14.000 In the world, where fascism is no longer just history, but the day-to-day reality in some countries, 03:14.000 --> 03:17.000 in a threat in others, 03:18.000 --> 03:23.000 open source technology is more important than ever. 03:23.000 --> 03:39.000 If you want future generations to live in every world, you have an obligation to contribute to the transformation from close source to free and open source software. 03:39.000 --> 03:43.000 Europe's dependence on US big tech is massive. 03:43.000 --> 03:53.000 The study commissioned last year by C. Griff found out that 80% of total spending on cloud software and services for business using Europe went to US companies. 03:53.000 --> 04:00.000 Representing a volume of 265 billion European year. 04:00.000 --> 04:04.000 Let's take a look at some examples from German public sector. 04:04.000 --> 04:13.000 For Oracle alone, the German government signed framework agreements worth just under 4.8 billion euro. 04:13.000 --> 04:23.000 German governments, Microsoft licenses and training contracts, account for framework agreements with a volume of 1.3 billion euro. 04:24.000 --> 04:34.000 Just imagine spending that 265 billion euro, which European organizations spent currently on US software on open source technologies. 04:34.000 --> 04:37.000 Cool, isn't it? 04:37.000 --> 04:41.000 The money is out there. This is not the problem. 04:41.000 --> 04:46.000 And seeing those numbers, we can definitely say that our infrastructure is already in trouble. 04:46.000 --> 04:54.000 The cost of vendor-locking is way higher than the mentioned 265 billion euro. 04:54.000 --> 04:59.000 We observe constantly raising subscription fees. 04:59.000 --> 05:12.000 To give you an example, prices for geradata center for 15,000 users increase by nearly 150% within the past six years. 05:13.000 --> 05:18.000 There is also the migration and data transfer costs for moving from one provider to another. 05:18.000 --> 05:24.000 Apparently, the companies have some kind of separation anxiety. 05:24.000 --> 05:28.000 And you probably invest in development of non-urusible skills. 05:28.000 --> 05:37.000 So employee training and certification for a particular closed-sostec technology can be used only for this product. 05:37.000 --> 05:43.000 Organizations trapped in the vendor-lock and lose the ability to easily switch solutions. 05:43.000 --> 05:49.000 You might observe also gradual deterioration of technical and cognitive skills. 05:49.000 --> 05:55.000 People who are trained to solve tough, technical problems can now only manage the certificates. 05:55.000 --> 06:00.000 The most skilled people will be frustrated as hell and will live your organization. 06:00.000 --> 06:09.000 And the dammer your organization will get the more difficult it will be for you to switch to open source alternatives. 06:09.000 --> 06:12.000 This might cause innovation stagnation. 06:12.000 --> 06:19.000 Because while managing closest environments, you train people to become Yamomankis and not innovators. 06:19.000 --> 06:26.000 The ability to implement third-party tools and the usage of interfaces is usually very restricted. 06:26.000 --> 06:35.000 You might even have difficulties to access your own data, you to dark patterns or API limits. 06:35.000 --> 06:40.000 Data ownership is an issue using closed source, you're lacking transparency. 06:40.000 --> 06:46.000 Do you have clarity if your top secret data is used for AI training? 06:46.000 --> 06:50.000 Some companies claim that they use only the anonymized data. 06:50.000 --> 06:52.000 Right? 06:52.000 --> 06:56.000 But how sure can you be about it if you cannot check it? 06:56.000 --> 07:00.000 Last but not least, geopolitical risks. 07:00.000 --> 07:08.000 Do you want to wake up to find out that your sanction and can it use foreign products anymore? 07:09.000 --> 07:17.000 A common argument is that outsourcing would allow organizations to focus on their core business. 07:17.000 --> 07:24.000 But this golden cage in reality is a downward spiral. 07:24.000 --> 07:35.000 And the only answer, the only answer to this golden cage of vendor-locking is free and open-source software. 07:36.000 --> 07:40.000 Here's what nobody tells you about vendor-locking. 07:40.000 --> 07:43.000 The reason is not made of code. 07:43.000 --> 07:46.000 It's made of fear. 07:46.000 --> 07:52.000 And the biggest barrier to overcome while switching to open-source alternatives is not technology. 07:52.000 --> 08:00.000 But human beings in leading them through this change. 08:00.000 --> 08:04.000 Technical problems can be solved with knowledge and patience. 08:04.000 --> 08:15.000 But driving the mindset shift and guiding people under emotional journey of change is an endeavor with many unpredictable obstacles. 08:15.000 --> 08:23.000 Transformation from closed source to open source is a major change initiative for organizations. 08:23.000 --> 08:28.000 Gencopter found that about 70% of organizational changes fail. 08:28.000 --> 08:31.000 So how do we actually make it work? 08:31.000 --> 08:37.000 Principle number one, co-create, don't dictate. 08:37.000 --> 08:39.000 Involve reduces. 08:39.000 --> 08:44.000 Whenever I guide companies into migration process from direct to open project, 08:44.000 --> 08:48.000 I always try to involve the real users from the very beginning. 08:49.000 --> 08:52.000 Usually we start with mapping stakeholders and all of the use cases. 08:52.000 --> 08:57.000 And I go on my uses island and try to understand their needs. 08:57.000 --> 09:02.000 And if the solution is already there, I guide users during the transition, 09:02.000 --> 09:05.000 translating their use cases to the new product. 09:05.000 --> 09:08.000 Given the gap, of course, all the training they need. 09:08.000 --> 09:11.000 In case the solution is not there yet. 09:11.000 --> 09:15.000 I usually follow up with a deep dive research to understand their needs even better. 09:15.000 --> 09:20.000 And you can co-create prototypes together with your users using rapid prototyping methods, 09:20.000 --> 09:24.000 like design sprints with users literally sketched their own ideas. 09:24.000 --> 09:29.000 So also test the prototypes together with your users to get a feedback. 09:29.000 --> 09:33.000 And through this involvement, you will make them part of the new solution, 09:33.000 --> 09:37.000 which will be happy to promote later on with the organization. 09:37.000 --> 09:41.000 This is how you create ownership. 09:42.000 --> 09:47.000 It's not just energy solution, which was thrown over the fans by their IT department, 09:47.000 --> 09:50.000 but they want to co-create themselves. 09:50.000 --> 09:54.000 And this is where the IT effect applies. 09:54.000 --> 09:59.000 Bill Champions find your elderly adopters and power them. 09:59.000 --> 10:04.000 Mapping all of the use cases within a bigger organization can be very time consuming. 10:04.000 --> 10:10.000 So think about ways how you can create a network of champions who will be taking all the parts of the research process. 10:11.000 --> 10:18.000 You need the champion voices to be spread across the whole organization to make this change happen. 10:18.000 --> 10:22.000 So build this champion network early in the process. 10:22.000 --> 10:27.000 And believe me, in those methods scale, within one of the organizations I was leading for change, 10:27.000 --> 10:34.000 I managed to build a co-creation process with 1,000 end users. 10:34.000 --> 10:37.000 And of course, involve decision makers. 10:37.000 --> 10:43.000 Because without their support and without the proper mandate, you won't be able to pivot at all. 10:43.000 --> 10:46.000 This brings me to the next topic. 10:46.000 --> 10:50.000 Principle number 2, change by education. 10:50.000 --> 10:53.000 Educate stakeholders and open-source. 10:53.000 --> 10:57.000 Not every executive is within our false bubble. 10:57.000 --> 11:01.000 So try to understand their fears and address them. 11:01.000 --> 11:07.000 And be prepared to address all kinds of myths on open-source. 11:07.000 --> 11:10.000 I will share with you some real quotes. 11:10.000 --> 11:14.000 I have multiple times among sea level and various industries. 11:14.000 --> 11:17.000 So please fasten your seat belts. 11:17.000 --> 11:22.000 Myth number 1, but open-source is not secure. 11:22.000 --> 11:25.000 Here we go, open-outting. 11:25.000 --> 11:31.000 Open-source actually benefits from a large community of developers who continuously improve the security. 11:31.000 --> 11:37.000 And every person, including you, can review the code and fix the box. 11:37.000 --> 11:39.000 No feature IDs. 11:39.000 --> 11:44.000 A phenomenon called feature IDs occurs when managers build feature factories 11:44.000 --> 11:49.000 and make pressure on the teams to deliver one useless feature after another. 11:50.000 --> 11:58.000 In first project, you will often observe a mindset where stability and security are prioritized of a delivery of new features, 11:58.000 --> 12:02.000 which is a very sustainable mindset for product development. 12:02.000 --> 12:11.000 So instead of going fast and breaking things, go slower and fix things to go faster. 12:11.000 --> 12:15.000 Myth number 2, but there is no one I can rely on. 12:15.000 --> 12:18.000 So I don't know who you are. 12:18.000 --> 12:24.000 Sign contracts with maintainers and contributors of very professional support for the first project of your choice. 12:24.000 --> 12:28.000 You can go for a simple support contract, you can commission some features, 12:28.000 --> 12:31.000 or you can commission entirely new project as I did it in the past. 12:31.000 --> 12:36.000 As one of my colleagues has, if you want to be lucky, install the software. 12:36.000 --> 12:40.000 If you want to be successful, sign a contract. 12:41.000 --> 12:46.000 Very often you will have multiple maintainers and contributors supporting the first project you want to implement, 12:46.000 --> 12:52.000 so you also have the freedom of choice who you want to work with. 12:52.000 --> 12:56.000 Usually using big tech, you are a very anonymous user. 12:56.000 --> 13:01.000 Within the first project you have a high chance to be a very relevant user. 13:01.000 --> 13:07.000 So being part of the first community gives you the possibility to co-create and shape the product. 13:07.000 --> 13:12.000 Very often for example, interviewing our users to understand their needs, how they use the product, 13:12.000 --> 13:17.000 and I involve them on a regular basis and prototype testing. 13:17.000 --> 13:21.000 Myth number 3, open source is free. 13:21.000 --> 13:27.000 There were three and three and open source indicates the freedoms which are enabled through force, 13:27.000 --> 13:32.000 free to use, to study, to share, to improve. 13:32.000 --> 13:40.000 If you want the project to be successful and to be maintained long term, make sure the developers can also pay their bills. 13:40.000 --> 13:45.000 For many being an open source developer is a regular job, which should be paid for. 13:45.000 --> 13:49.000 It's not a hobby. 13:49.000 --> 13:52.000 Public money, public code. 13:52.000 --> 13:59.000 Especially public organization should be considered while making decisions on how to spend our tech's money, right? 13:59.000 --> 14:07.000 Is it even compliant to pay way more if you could pay way less? 14:07.000 --> 14:13.000 Myth number 4, there is no alternative for this use case in open source. 14:13.000 --> 14:15.000 I cannot hear this one anymore. 14:15.000 --> 14:18.000 This is my personal trigger to be honest with you. 14:18.000 --> 14:21.000 I switch fully to open source on my computer. 14:21.000 --> 14:27.000 I don't have any closed source installed and I'm still alive. 14:28.000 --> 14:33.000 Very often it's a decision between make or buy at the sea level. 14:33.000 --> 14:40.000 I would add a new dimension to those decision making processes, make, buy or commission. 14:40.000 --> 14:47.000 So if some features are missing, go and pay for it, contribute with your team or commission entirely new project. 14:47.000 --> 14:53.000 So that no one else in future can say there is no alternative in open source. 14:54.000 --> 15:04.000 And remember, you can make the change happen, especially if you're a decision maker. 15:04.000 --> 15:11.000 There are also doubts which some CIOs think aren't afraid to say out loud. 15:11.000 --> 15:17.000 How will my colleagues perceive me if I roll out this open source thingy and not big tech? 15:17.000 --> 15:24.000 Unfortunately I've served this one very often in the CIO bubble and the big tech companies are really good in marketing and building this narrative. 15:24.000 --> 15:28.000 Oh, so many other companies trusted us. You can trust us as well. 15:28.000 --> 15:33.000 So either you have your own brain and courage or not. 15:33.000 --> 15:37.000 Don't be afraid to be a first mover in your bubble. 15:37.000 --> 15:40.000 You can set the tone. You can inspire people. 15:40.000 --> 15:50.000 So be like the excretar who is literally driving a revolution in Schleswig-Holstein and switching one use case after another to false. 15:50.000 --> 15:53.000 Who can I blame as something goes wrong? 15:53.000 --> 15:55.000 I don't want my hat rule. 15:55.000 --> 16:02.000 To me as a person interested a lot in organizational culture, this one makes me very, very sad. 16:02.000 --> 16:07.000 So you can start changing your culture, but this might be tough. 16:07.000 --> 16:16.000 And of course, sign a contract with the contributors and maintainers behind the first project to have a professional relationship and to support the project long term, 16:16.000 --> 16:20.000 because they can survive only with your long term support. 16:20.000 --> 16:23.000 Me and my team are not skilled to run it. 16:24.000 --> 16:28.000 Sorry to say, but this is a self-inflicted issue. 16:28.000 --> 16:33.000 Indeed, if you were outsourcing technology in the past years, this skills got lost. 16:33.000 --> 16:38.000 Yes, this is also what the close source companies want. 16:38.000 --> 16:42.000 And this is also a consequence of the vendor lock-in. 16:42.000 --> 16:48.000 So if you really don't have the skills, train your people, hire new people, 16:48.000 --> 16:55.000 and hire small people who are open source people at heart, and allow them to do their job. 16:55.000 --> 17:03.000 Do your job advertising on Massodom, rather than on LinkedIn, because you will find real open source people rather in the Fedivers and on LinkedIn. 17:03.000 --> 17:08.000 Plus, teams usually have many obstacles to overcome. 17:08.000 --> 17:13.000 So as a manager, do your best not to be your team's biggest obstacle. 17:13.000 --> 17:21.000 Don't micromanage them, and then allow skilled people to make decisions they were trained for, too, and hired for. 17:21.000 --> 17:25.000 Otherwise, indeed, the smartest people will leave you. 17:25.000 --> 17:29.000 Managers being they have to involve in every decision. 17:29.000 --> 17:34.000 True leaders know that their job is to empower others. 17:34.000 --> 17:38.000 So don't be a manager, be a leader. 17:39.000 --> 17:45.000 Principle number three, lead people, manage things. 17:45.000 --> 17:48.000 Change can be scary. 17:48.000 --> 17:54.000 As a leader, your main job is to guide people under emotional journey of change. 17:54.000 --> 17:58.000 Recently, I was running a proof of concept for a big public organization. 17:58.000 --> 18:02.000 They started the migration from Gerat to Open Project. 18:02.000 --> 18:06.000 So I went under Ireland to understand their processes and ways of working. 18:06.000 --> 18:09.000 I was curious to hear their fears. 18:09.000 --> 18:14.000 And this information not only helps me to translate their needs into Open Project, 18:14.000 --> 18:19.000 but also builds trust and relationship with the Open Source community. 18:19.000 --> 18:21.000 Listen. 18:21.000 --> 18:24.000 Listen with the intention to understand and help. 18:24.000 --> 18:27.000 Be curious and not judgmental. 18:27.000 --> 18:29.000 And remember, feedback is a gift. 18:29.000 --> 18:33.000 People undergoing change might have very valuable feedback, 18:33.000 --> 18:38.000 which will help you address their risks very early. 18:38.000 --> 18:42.000 And create environment based on psychological safety, 18:42.000 --> 18:47.000 where people are not afraid to share their doubts of fears. 18:47.000 --> 18:52.000 Only when knowing problems early, you can address them effectively. 18:52.000 --> 18:58.000 So create spaces to share feedback and ask any kind of questions. 18:59.000 --> 19:02.000 And inspire and lead by example. 19:02.000 --> 19:04.000 You are driving the mindset shift. 19:04.000 --> 19:12.000 So lead by example by installing Linux on your machine by switching to Open Source alternatives as a first mover. 19:12.000 --> 19:18.000 So how to break free from vendor lock-in and drive change to what a resilient infrastructure. 19:18.000 --> 19:21.000 Co-create, don't dictate. 19:21.000 --> 19:27.000 Lead change by education, lead people, manage things. 19:27.000 --> 19:36.000 You might ask, Rosanna, if the change is so hard, why should we even bother? 19:36.000 --> 19:41.000 1,421. 19:41.000 --> 19:45.000 This number shaped my mindset and was part of my childhood experience. 19:45.000 --> 19:50.000 During World War II, my grandfather was held as a prison of war and the Althelek 2A. 19:50.000 --> 19:58.000 A German prison of war camp located in the town of Prince Lo. 19:58.000 --> 20:08.000 For me, my grandfather's tattoo is a symbol of why we need justice and freedom. 20:20.000 --> 20:32.000 Especially public organizations have the obligation to improve things for our society. 20:32.000 --> 20:40.000 But even if you're a private organization, you can co-create the public infrastructure if you contribute to Open Source products. 20:40.000 --> 20:45.000 Especially if you're a decision maker, you can make the change happen. 20:45.000 --> 20:50.000 So start the transition to Open Source that prepared well. 20:50.000 --> 20:54.000 You don't have and you should not do it alone. 20:54.000 --> 21:01.000 Co-create the future together with your colleagues. 21:01.000 --> 21:05.000 Digital sovereignty isn't built with code alone. 21:05.000 --> 21:08.000 It's built with people. 21:08.000 --> 21:11.000 People who believe in it. 21:11.000 --> 21:20.000 Switching to Open Source is the best thing you can do to your organizations, your colleagues, your users, and us the citizens. 21:20.000 --> 21:23.000 So Monday morning, please pick one product. 21:23.000 --> 21:33.000 You can replace with foster technologies and start planning this transition to get away with your colleagues. 21:33.000 --> 21:36.000 This is a hard work but a necessary work. 21:36.000 --> 21:38.000 You're not just migrating software. 21:38.000 --> 21:44.000 You're building democracy and freedom for future generations. 21:44.000 --> 21:47.000 Thank you.