Community and collaboration are cornerstones of the open source philosophy and key assets for businesses built on free software. MySQL, the highly successful open source database, depends on the strength of good relations with its loyal base of developers and users. In this talk, Kaj Arnö showcases the role of community in his company's quest to balance the making of great software through open source principles and the need to earn a profit.

The success of MySQL is an interesting study of how a company can thrive by finding the right niche. Arnö compares MySQL to flying economy class. You may not get all the amenities of first class passengers, but you still arrive at the same destination with the same safety and security. To further the analogy, passengers don't set the destination, but you can join the crew if you want to help fly the plane.

The respect of the community is hard to earn and easy to lose. MySQL AB understands that a strong, engaged community can accomplish things beyond what the company could do alone. Users field test software and give extensive feedback on requirements and desirable features, and also represent a powerful marketing force by word of mouth.

What does the company give to the community in return? Software, of course, released under the GPL. Beyond the core database products, the company balances free and paid software and support services to find the right blend of openness and profitability.

Commercial considerations sometimes rub the community the wrong way and goals and priorities may differ, but overall the collective spirit is alive and well. Arnö closes with some thoughts on how the company can keep the community engaged and excited by staying humble and keeping it real.