I have always found myself using FOSS software for as far as I can remember. The first PC that was actually mine and not just the family PC was an old Dell Dimensions tower (you know, the one from the cs_office map) running Ubuntu. I was enthralled by linux and the freedom it gave me over the Windows XP and Vista computers I was used to using as a kid. Thats where I started learning programming with C++ and Python, and where I found my love for technology in general.
With SessionZero, I have gone through many iterations of what I wanted this thing to be.
First I wanted to follow the trend of flashy free web applications that needed an optional paid tier to access certain features, but then I remebered how tired I am of subscription fees and horribly optimized web-based applications.
Then, I though about making a steam-only desktop application that was a one time purchase, but then I got some sense knocked into me by some friends that not everyone has or wants to use steam, and by doing that I was essentially locking my application behind an unessecary brick wall that benefits nobody.
So then I finally let my roots take back over and I decided that SessionZero would be totally free and open-source. No paywall, no need to have a steam account, none of that. Does that mean I will probably make zero dollars from this thing? Yup. But I think thats worth it to have something that everyone can access, for free, and on their terms.
What does that mean for possible monetization? I have a few thoughts. I really like the model that Obsidian.md uses for their software (despite it not being open-source). Totally free to use, nothing locked behind a paywall, but if you want to sync your data across your devices using their servers, you can pay a small subscription fee just to cover the cost of running servers. This could work for SessionZero as an optional way (but not the only, rememember it is open-source) to syncronize data across your devices. This would help us cover the server fees for running the backend that allows for the SessionZeroDB and online play features.
But we would like to know your thoughts! Is this a model you could get behind or do we need another kick in the teeth? Either way, thanks for reading, good luck on your adventures!
