Innovation by User Communities: Learning From Open-Source Software
Summary. User communities can develop complex products independently of manufacturers, as demonstrated by open-source software like Apache and user-designed windsurfing equipment. The paper examines how these loosely organized groups innovate to meet shared needs, sometimes collaborating with manufacturers and sometimes not. The Internet amplifies their capacity for collaboration and distribution, creating economic value that traditional business models struggle to explain.
Cite this article
Hippel, E. V.. (2001). Innovation by User Communities: Learning From Open-Source Software. MIT Sloan management review. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2376660
Hippel, Eric von. “Innovation by User Communities: Learning From Open-Source Software.” MIT Sloan management review, 2001. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2376660.
Hippel, Eric von. 2001. “Innovation by User Communities: Learning From Open-Source Software.” MIT Sloan management review. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2376660.
@article{hippel-2001-innovation-user-communities-learning-open,
title = {Innovation by User Communities: Learning From Open-Source Software},
author = {Eric von Hippel},
journal = {MIT Sloan management review},
year = {2001},
url = {https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2376660}
}
TY - JOUR TI - Innovation by User Communities: Learning From Open-Source Software AU - Eric von Hippel JO - MIT Sloan management review PY - 2001 UR - https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2376660 ER -
Details
- Categories
- innovation-theory, innovation-networks, general-innovation
- Added
- 2026-04-28