Is going Open Source a viable business model?

When I think of open source I think of a saying my grandmother use to say, “ too many chefs in the pot will ruin the broth” I don’t believe that open source is the best business model for every business. For example in one of the readings, ‘The Political Economy of Open Source Software’ by Steven Weber starts off telling us that The ingredients to Coca-Cola is on the can but not the process of how they are combined into making the popular drink. If this was open source and anyone could access how to make it, the company would crumble and would not be who they are today. I also believe that open source can be helpful though if it is helping a greater cause that is positive to the masses. I watched a movie called “The Internets own boy” where this talented programmer was leaking public files that people were being charged for to the public because he believed that big business shouldn’t profit off the public’s right to knowledge. I believe in this case JStar, the company he stole from, should have been open source and allowed the public access to the knowledge they deserved to readily access. Instead they got hacked and the files were accessible by the public. Open source can be good and bad but it depends on the field.