Building a Business with Open Content and Open Source Software

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Ujaval Gandhi

Spatial Thoughts

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2025.foss4g.org

Auckland, New Zealand, 17 – 23 November 2025

• A learning platform for modern geospatial technologies.
• Free and open learning content for QGIS, Python, GDAL and Google Earth Engine.
• Learning materials used by 1,00,0000+ users every year.
• All material is licensed under CC-BY
• Online academy for cohort-based instructor-led classes.
• Trained participants from 100+ countries.

✅ QGIS.org certified training provider

✅ QGIS.org sustaining member

Spatial Thoughts

Got hired at Google through Keyhole acquisition. Moved from Desktop-based GIS tools to Linux, Python and GDAL.

2005: First steps into open-source

2008: Contributing to open-source

Discovered the QGIS project in early 2008. Had powerful capabilities but lacked documentation and training materials. Started writing tutorials and posting them online at qgistutorials.com

2017: Discovering the Passion for Teaching

Working with developer relations team to help adoption of Google Earth Engine. Traveled around the country teaching remote sensing and cloud computing to 1000+ researchers.

The Purpose Venn Diagram (aka Ikigai reflection)

2020: At the crossroads

An Online Academy

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Offer paid instructor-led classes focused on real-world skills.

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High Impact with Free and Open Content

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Build and publish high-quality learning content.

All content is freely accessible.

No ads for distraction free learning.

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Embrace Open Source Ethos

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Openly licensed content to enable others to adapt and build.

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A Mission Driven Business

What you are GOOD AT

Teaching

What you LOVE

Creating Learning Content

What the world NEEDS

Affordable access to upskilling opportunities

What you can be PAID FOR

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Paid cohort-based live online classes

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Accelerated learning with peers from across the world

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Certification for increased access to career opportunities

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Support and mentoring to ensure continuous development

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The Business Model

Open content drives a lot of traffic

Video is great but do not ignore text content which is indexed really well by search engines.

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Maintaining learning materials is hard

Our moat is the ability to keep the materials up-to-date and relevant.

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Teaching focus builds trust

We don’t want to sell you our services or promote a specific product.

Content Discovery

Engagement

Purchase

1M+ unique visitors / year

50K+ complete a free tutorial or a course

500+ enroll in an instructor-led class

Lessons Learnt

Contact: ujaval@spatialthoughts.com

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Access all our open-access learning materials

spatialthoughts.com/learning-paths/

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Questions?