Dries Buytaert Outlines Future of Drupal at MidCamp 2025 Fireside Chat

In a wide-ranging and introspective session at MidCamp 2025, Drupal founder Dries Buytaert joined Fredric Mitchell for a "fireside chat" focused on the long-term sustainability and philosophical underpinnings of the Drupal community. The conversation spanned Dries' evolving role at Acquia, the direction of key Drupal initiatives, and his thoughts on reconciling open-source ideals with capitalist realities.

Dries explained that stepping back from day-to-day operations at Acquia has allowed him to re-invest time into Drupal. He is now focused on leading initiatives like Starshot and Drupal CMS, aimed at improving Drupal’s usability and appeal for smaller organizations and non-developer personas. He emphasized that these changes are not about simplifying Drupal for the sake of it, but about making it accessible without compromising its technical depth. The upcoming Drupal AI strategy was also highlighted as a critical component of this broader growth agenda.

A significant portion of the discussion addressed the tension between open-source collaboration and profit-driven motivations. Dries introduced the “maker/taker” model, suggesting that organizations benefiting from Drupal should also be contributing back. He advocated for Drupal.org and the Drupal Association to prioritize visibility for contributors, effectively creating incentives aligned with community sustainability. This aligns with research from economist Elinor Ostrom, whose principles on managing shared resources underpin the community strategies Dries is now championing.

Importantly, Dries acknowledged the risks of corporate over-dependence and discussed Acquia’s historical and ongoing contributions as a venture-backed company. He was transparent about the need for more organizations to share the load and ensure Drupal’s resilience. The conversation closed on a hopeful note, emphasizing the power of individual contributors and the need to model sustainable collaboration—both within Drupal and as a framework for broader open-source ecosystems.