I have always been a supporter of open source/ open science. I believe it has the role of an indie hacker in the Pharma world where gate keeping has been part of the character of the industry. However I believe we will slowly come to a moment where all this would drop. Nothing but solving for pressing diseases, environmental risks and toxicity of chemicals should be the highest urgency of the industry.
LLMs have created great impact on intellectual drudgery. They have already started democratizing patterns in knowledge which were long guarded in the Pharma and life sciences space by "intelligent intellectuals" (whatever that term means). However, we are seeing shifts in the human collective creative energy as most resources are out there for people to find, they just need to have the desire to find it. And that is what open source/ open science represents.
Open source/ open science is the indie hacker punk in the pharmaceutical industry, enabling breakthroughs that benefit everyone, from researchers to patients. It creates a shared pool of knowledge and tools, allowing scientists to build on each other's work and accelerating drug development in ways closed, proprietary systems cannot.
But as we imagine the immense value created by open-source tools, it’s easy to fall into a trap—the "gratitude grievance." This is where we wonder: If hundreds of billions of dollars in value are derived from tools we contributed to, why haven't we personally reaped the same rewards? Or why are we not monetizing it?
This mindset is dangerous to the very essence of open source. Look at SQLite, it is open to the world and has contributed to be the backbone of many AI driven software- while staying true to its spirit. The moment we expect proportional returns from every success story using our tools, we risk becoming haunted by feelings of entitlement. Gratitude grievances can blind us to the true reward of open source—the joy of contributing to a thriving ecosystem where others can succeed because of what we’ve shared.
In pharma, the true value of open source lies in the collaboration and collective advancement it enables. If success is measured solely by financial returns, we risk losing sight of the bigger picture: scientific innovation, progress, and the creation of a vibrant community. Instead of being frustrated by the wealth generated by others, we should celebrate the fact that our contributions have made such success possible. In the end, the rewards of open source are more than monetary; they are the impact we make and the opportunity to build something greater than ourselves—something that benefits all of humanity.
Creation is always higher than the creator- so I believe we should all support and contribute to open source/ open science opportunities.
I wonder- a lot. So, I write my wonder here. What to expect? The chaos and curiosity that my being brings. As living a human life is not bound by definitions in the macros- the posts here will be spontaneous and identity-less! I like to give and create art. So if you buy an act of creating I will use it for things that I am passionate to give for. Obviously, a little support on my art will make me feel visible.
"Change. Change. Change. Change … change. Change. Chaaange. When you say words a lot they don't mean anything. Or maybe they don't mean anything anyway, and we just think they do."
