Product Market Fit for CKAN (Autumn, 2023)

Brief summary: The Autumn 2023 Product Market Fit survey for CKAN indicates a positive reception among users, with a 64.3% fit score. The survey, essential for understanding user satisfaction post-updates and expansion, informs the CKAN Taskforce, led by Alex Gostev, about the platform's strengths and areas for improvement. The results, encapsulated in an infographic, show a high recommendation rate (92.3%) and varied use cases, from customization to active contribution and data publishing. It also identifies government entities, NGOs, and data hubs as key beneficiaries of CKAN's features. This feedback is crucial for guiding future enhancements and ensuring CKAN continues to serve its community effectively.

Introduction

The most recent Product Market Fit (PMF) survey for CKAN has just been released, providing valuable insights into the platform’s current standing and areas for future growth. This survey serves as a critical touchpoint for assessing CKAN's alignment with user needs following significant updates and expansions.

CKAN's Alignment with Market Needs

The PMF survey has delivered a robust score of 64.3%, a clear indication that CKAN is meeting its market's needs effectively. This score is well above the 40% benchmark, which is generally recognized as the point at which a product can sustain growth—highlighting CKAN's strong position in the market.

Advocacy and User Engagement

A highlight from the survey is the high level of advocacy for CKAN, with 92.3% of respondents recommending the platform. This advocacy is supported by the discovery paths users are taking: 28.6% through personal recommendations and 7.1% via the CKAN.org website, pointing to the platform's organic growth through community trust and digital presence.

User Interaction with CKAN

The survey provides a breakdown of how users interact with CKAN:

• 64.3% customize the platform for their needs
• 42.9% contribute to repositories and develop extensions
• 35.7% use CKAN for data publishing
• 21.4% are frequent visitors of CKAN-based websites

These statistics not only demonstrate the platform's flexibility and core functionality but also underline the strong engagement from the developer community and the consistent use of CKAN-based resources.

Functional Usage

Users reported frequently using key features such as the Datastore, Search, and Preview tools, along with Harvesting, Data publishing, Data catalog, Datapusher, and the CKAN API, which emphasizes the platform's comprehensive toolset.

Beneficiaries of CKAN

The survey identified several sectors that benefit significantly from using CKAN, including government agencies, NGOs, data hubs, and any organization that manages data publishing, reinforcing the platform's value across various fields.

Further Reading

For a comparative perspective, check out the results from last year's survey: Product Market Fit for CKAN (Autumn, 2022).

Conclusion

The insights from the 2023 PMF survey affirm CKAN's vital role in data management across a spectrum of organizations and its adaptability in an evolving digital environment. As CKAN continues to grow, this feedback is instrumental in guiding its development to better serve its users.

Reflecting on the progress and planning for the future is a community effort. We invite all users to view the full infographic detailing this year's survey results and join the conversation to help shape the next stage of CKAN's evolution.