Three months ago, I was one of the ignorant masses. I thought open source was cool, free software don't have to pay a dime. However, I didn't think it was possible to be really profitable with open source technology. I didn't really understand what open source really was and what it offered. Today, my view has been flipped almost 180 degrees. I feel that you can't start a technology related business and afford to ignore or even antagonize the open source movement. Not because open source is freeand thus a potential competitor for customers, but the fact that ignoring it will most assuredly make you irrelevant. Before FSOSS I learned how to take part in open source development, I learned about a few of the new and exciting technologies that are being opened using open source technology. During FSOSS I learned how a business can operate using open source as a business model, how a business can get along with the open source community to drive and enhance a product, and most of all, I gained a little more understanding about what makes open source so great.