I follow that too, when I try a new venture, but what does that have to do with "The Code Is/Isn't Important"?
What you listed is important, but those findings are distilled into the source code of the product. If you open the source, you are providing step-by-step instructions on solving some problem that other people are prepared to pay to solve.
Basically, you come up with a recipe for success for $FOO - why would you give that recipe away unless you've already capitalised on it?
None of what I said even speaks about source code. It could just as well be run by a bunch of people with notebooks, sending emails from time to time.
All that matters is that the product works, and we have a scaling path once we find a market fit. Yes, that's likely to involve source code, but I've no qualms with tossing out the MVP code and starting over from scratch. Or adapting the quickie we put together, if it happens to contain a kernel of value. Whether I open source it or not depends on where our moat lies.
But regardless, the new reality is that anyone can decompile your code with an AI and duplicate it. So merely putting an app out there opens the door for someone to copy it. So really, your moat better be something besides the code!
What you listed is important, but those findings are distilled into the source code of the product. If you open the source, you are providing step-by-step instructions on solving some problem that other people are prepared to pay to solve.
Basically, you come up with a recipe for success for $FOO - why would you give that recipe away unless you've already capitalised on it?