For the open core model to work, the OSS product should be standalone and featureful. If users feel like it's just used to advertise a commercial product, it doesn't work. And the commercial product should offer value-added services and features that are not strictly required for the base OSS product. These should be features directed towards advanced or corporate users, and preferably something that competitors lack, or don't do a good job of.
It's very tricky to balance the open core model correctly, which is why not many companies get it right. You need to invest equally, if not more, in the OSS product, and make sure users are happy with it before you even mention a commercial addon. Grafana is another example of companies that understand and do this well.
It's very tricky to balance the open core model correctly, which is why not many companies get it right. You need to invest equally, if not more, in the OSS product, and make sure users are happy with it before you even mention a commercial addon. Grafana is another example of companies that understand and do this well.