Open source built Tyk. It wouldn’t today.

In a reflective analysis of the evolution of open-source business strategies, James Hirst discusses how the traditional open-source model, which involves giving away code to gain trust and market presence, has been upended by the rise of AI tools in software development. While this approach was highly effective in 2014, enabling Tyk's API gateway to gain traction through developer discovery and trust in the code, the landscape has dramatically shifted by 2026. Developers now rely heavily on AI assistants, which pre-filter and pre-rank options, diminishing the role of human-led discovery and evaluation. Consequently, the traditional open-source distribution strategy has lost its effectiveness as AI models favor established and well-documented solutions. Hirst argues that the focus should now be on creating highly legible documentation and examples that AI models can easily learn and distribute, acknowledging that while open source remains valuable for community and values, it no longer serves as a viable distribution strategy in the AI-driven market.

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