We do it for the community

It’s a beautiful sentiment to reflect upon – “We do this for the community.” This phrase, delicately expressed to us recently, cast light on the vibrant pulse and potential inherent in our project, Tuist. An insightful suggestion about integrating a feature to streamline Tuist remote caching presented not just a technological prospect, but a moment to ponder about collaborative innovation and ethical praxis in the open-source landscape.

Navigating through this journey of developing Tuist, whilst seeking a viable path to support my family and me, has been a profound exploration. It’s not just about discovering solutions for myriad challenges users encounter with Xcode, but also about weaving a tapestry of sustainable development that resonates with community ethos and altruistic collaborations.

In a world where every digital step is entwined with ethical considerations, especially in our endeavour to sustainably develop Tuist, we tread cautiously. While our project is shielded with a permissive license, the ethical dialogue it intertwines with is both vital and delicate.

At times, miscommunications happen. Perhaps in their zeal to contribute, some may overlook the underlying struggles and aspirations of our team, attempting to harness Tuist’s capabilities for their gain, somewhat overshadowing our journey towards sustainability. It’s conceivable - maybe they were unaware of our aspirations to immerse ourselves full-time into Tuist’s development? Always leaning into a belief in others’ good intentions, this was a possibility I considered. But understanding evolved through conversations, revealing a knowing that was deeper and more informed.

Despite these revelations, we’ve witnessed actions that teetered on the edge of ethical bounds. Navigating through instances where our sustainability initiatives, like Tuist Cloud were contrasted unfavorably against services of investor-backed entities, was indeed a challenge. But herein, we also found a spark – an ignition of resolve to protect and nurture the sanctity and future of Tuist.

In a realm where open-source projects, like Fastlane and Rails, have found sanctuary and sustained development within large organizations and dedicated teams, Tuist weaves a slightly different narrative. The likelihood of a dedicated Tuist infrastructure team materializing within an organization may appear slim, yet what pulses brightly within us is an unbridled passion for problem-solving and innovation within this domain.

So, here we stand, at a pivotal crossroads, choosing to develop the client-side functionality that fuels Tuist Cloud in private, at least until we solidify our path to project sustainability. This decision, forged in the crucible of challenges, is imbued with hope - hope that this enclosure is merely a temporary phase, and that we’ll soon fling open the gates to a reservoir of source value once more.

Even as we navigated through the echoes of bold business moves that nudged us unexpectedly, our commitment to positivity and innovation has remained unwavering. Now, we’re not merely players, but steadfast contributors to a different league, an evolved narrative of inspiring sustainable open-source development.

To you, our cherished Tuist users, let your hearts be light and assured. In the embracing and indomitable spirit of us - the people that breathe life into Tuist - you have a trustworthy companion. As we untangle the threads of this challenge and reweave them into a tapestry of innovative solutions and sustainable practices, the horizon looks even more radiant and promising.

There’s an entire universe of solutions we’re eager to explore and implement, and with an evolving framework that hopefully allows us more dedicated time for Tuist, this will change, blossoming into a reality where our collective dreams and innovations converge, uplifting and empowering each one in our community.

Together, in unity, innovation, and ethical collaboration, let’s continue to co-create, inspire, and elevate Tuist into realms where technology and ethical sustainability dance in harmonious synchrony.