OpenSource hardware Companies

[NeMewSys]

I was reading Adafruit's profile description

All-original DIY electronics kits - Adafruit Industries is a New York City based company that sells kits and parts for original, open source hardware electronics projects featured on http://www.adafruit.com as well as other cool open source tronix’ that we think are interesting and well-made.

And i ask myself, as having zero experience in management and yet, too young to have any notion of it, how can a company that lives from opensource have profit?
I love opensource and i like this kind of initiatives, but i (and many people) never found out what's behind all this, and im sure that for some people have free access to knowledge, there must be other people who sacrifice themselves for this objective. I can tell this because nothing in life comes from nothing, for one to have more others need to have few.

[adafruit]

I was reading Adafruit's profile description. And i ask myself, as having zero experience in management and yet, too young to have any notion of it, how can a company that lives from opensource have profit?
I love opensource and i like this kind of initiatives, but i (and many people) never found out what's behind all this, and im sure that for some people have free access to knowledge, there must be other people who sacrifice themselves for this objective. I can tell this because nothing in life comes from nothing, for one to have more others need to have few.

you can have profit from doing open source hardware, while we give away the "bits" the files to remake our products, we also sell them (the "its") at a fair price and great quality, along with providing documentation and support here. makers can learn and share - there isn't anyone getting less the goal is to put more value in the world.

cheers,
adafruit