Forking Elasticsearch to create OpenSearch wasn't just a technical challenge—it was a whirlwind of public relations drama, governance hurdles, and community building complexities. OpenSearch was born from a pivotal decision: to fork Elasticsearch and Kibana in response to Elastic's controversial license changes, a move that sent shockwaves through the open source world. At a time when forking was strictly considered taboo, this Herculean effort set the stage for other forks like MapLibre, OpenTofu, and Valkey. In this talk, I'll take you behind the scenes of creating OpenSearch at AWS, from navigating the highly publicized PR storm and addressing concerns of enterprise customers, to ensuring compatibility for users while charting a new path forward.

We'll dive into the unexpected challenges of forking a major open source project: the hidden technical debt, the painstaking work of building trust with a skeptical community, and the balancing act of aligning corporate objectives with open source principles. I'll also discuss the complexities and trade-offs considered when deciding whether to transition OpenSearch to an Open Source Software Foundation—a move the community felt was critical to ensure neutrality and open governance.

But the story doesn't stop there. I'll reflect on my journey leaving AWS to build a startup around the same technology, highlighting what OpenSearch gets right, where it struggles, and why innovation still required stepping outside its framework—culminating in the creation of a "spork," designed to push the boundaries further. This talk is a candid exploration of the good, bad, and ugly of governance in open source: lessons learned, scars earned, and insights into what it really takes to build an open source community that balances the needs of corporations and contributors alike. For anyone navigating the fine line between corporate sponsorship and community ownership, this story is a must-hear.