We're Still Too Expensive, and We Should Talk About It

I love going to Drupal events, and one of the first things we are discussing these days is how do we solve the current Drupal ecosystem issues.

When I talk to Drupal friends about these challenges, I usually hear the same responses: Drupal got too complicated, or it became too enterprise-focused. But I think these explanations miss the real problem.

Don't get me wrong - we're doing incredible work to address barriers. Drupal CMS is giving access to less technical users. Experience Builder allows for better personalization of how a site looks. The IXP initiative is creating pathways for new developers. We have AI research exploring new possibilities. For simpler Drupal sites, we have more affordable hosting options than ever before. Countless community efforts are lowering barriers to entry.

But here's what I keep coming back to: we're pricing ourselves out of projects that should be perfect fits for Drupal.

For me, open source has always been about giving users access to the latest technology without massive licensing fees. You invest that money in engineering - in people who actually know what they're doing. But we priced that expertise at the level of commercial software, even with the license fees.

A client conversation from years ago crystallized this for me. I had a VP of Technology who kept asking: "Carlos, why do we have to update so often, and why do I have to pay $160 per hour for updates?"

We're paying senior-level rates for routine maintenance and configuration changes. This isn't sustainable for clients, and it's not great for developers either who end up bored doing work below their skill level.

So I've been exploring something different. I've been exploring how an hour of a technical architect can guide two or three more affordable developers - whether that's working across different markets like Colombia, or with newer developers through programs like IXP - and we can deliver a $10,000 project with profit for everyone involved.

This connects to broader trends: fractional work arrangements, cross-market collaboration, better task allocation. The question isn't whether we can be more affordable. It's whether we can do it without racing to the bottom.

What if the problem isn't Drupal's complexity but how we organize ourselves to deliver value?

I think there might be a better way to approach this, but I'm curious: How are you handling cost pressures in your projects? What's working for you?

Let's figure this out together, because a sustainable Drupal ecosystem benefits all of us.