Buildly · The builder collective

Build independently.
Belong together.

A co-op of developers, product managers, designers, and solo founders. Shared projects. Independent work. Open source.

Developers Product managers Designers Solo founders
Your work. Your way.

Three ways to belong.

Team up

Build a product with people who complement your skills.

Find collaborators →

Work independently

Take on client work as an independent contractor.

Join the collective →

Launch your own

Grow a solo business with a community behind you.

Meet other founders →
Why community matters

Shared work strengthens the ecosystem.

2025 survey · contributing organizations

Participation has practical benefits.

Share reporting improvement; 252 respondents per question. Positive response categories summed from rounded figures. Linux Foundation, tables A16, A18–19 .
Data & limitations
Share reporting improvement
Outcome Share
Faster product development 66%
Faster security / bug responses 55%
Easier hiring & retention 55%

Self-reported association, not proof of causation or a forecast for Buildly members. Denominators include “don’t know” responses.

2024 funding study · contribution value

People power open source.

86% employee labor 14% financial support
Share of estimated contribution value among 159 organizations reporting positive support—not a share of contributors. 2024 OSS Funding Report .
Data & limitations

Labor is valued paid employee time. Financial support includes donations and other support. Percentages are rounded; 14% is the complement of the reported 86%. Survey estimates are not a census of all open source work.

An illustrated workshop representing shared software and the Forge
Shared tools · open foundations

Tools for the work.
People for the journey.

Labs becomes ProductLabs , transitioning to business-friendly open source. Explore shared software through Forge.

Community beyond the project

Rooted locally.
Connected through our work.

Find founder support, mentorship, and community through First City Foundry.

Your next chapter starts with people.

Our story · Articles & blog

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