Brittany Istenes: Open Source Readiness, OSPOs, and Why Contribution Is Risk Management

In this episode of Risk-First: Stars of Software, Rob Moffat talks with Brittany Istenes, open source strategist, InnerSource advocate, and contributor to FINOS’ Open Source Readiness work.

Brittany has spent years helping large organisations—especially in regulated industries—figure out how to actually work with open source, not just consume it. Which makes her the perfect person to explore one of the biggest blind spots in enterprise technology today: the gap between relying on open source and understanding how to manage the risks that come with it.

The conversation explores why so many firms depend on open source but struggle to engage with it properly, what OSPOs are really for (beyond compliance), and how organisations can move from passive consumption to active participation without losing control.

Along the way, Rob and Brittany dive into:

• Why open source is effectively critical infrastructure—but isn’t treated or funded like it
• The reality of “OSPOs of one” and why most firms underestimate their importance
• How dependency risk, licensing, and supply chain issues create hidden exposure in large organisations
• Why contributing upstream isn’t altruism—it’s a way to reduce risk and gain influence
• How InnerSource helps organisations learn open collaboration safely before engaging externally
• The role of foundations like FINOS in creating trusted environments for collaboration between competitors
• Why the cost of internal forks is often invisible—but significant
• How AI and “vibe coding” could massively increase the volume of open source (and the associated risks)

FINOS Open Source Readiness (OSR)
https://osr.finos.org

InnerSource Commons
https://innersourcecommons.org

FINOS (Fintech Open Source Foundation)
https://www.finos.org

Music Mentioned Includes:

• Oranssi Pazuzu (Finnish black metal)
• Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth
• MF DOOM – Doomsday
• Tom Waits
• The Bobby Lees
• Blackwater Holylight
• Wu-Tang Clan
• Puscifer
• Tool
• Tron: Legacy (Daft Punk soundtrack)
• The Crow (1994 soundtrack)