In reply to Shaun Baer.

I think this was really well put. I like the idea of more transparency.

To a degree, having for-profit companies so closely tied to a non-profit open source project is problematic.

It can be, but I'm not convinced it's the case currently at all. I think these companies contribute to the wellbeing of the project in ways that sustain the entire project. I think that with the leverage they have (and they do have special leverage over competitors) they compensate with a larger, more burdensome role in terms of their contribution.

I'm not completely convinced about the need to have a very fixed vision laid out, or about having some user voting system for ideas involving everyone in the decision making. I like that the people who contribute the most and have the best feel for the project have the most influence. I think that leads to better decisions. If you start developing based off on a popular vote for example, you run into separate issues.

Also, there is something to be said about not planning a very specific long term plan. Kenneth Stanley has very interesting thoughts on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXQPL9GooyI