Why Did You Create AsyncAPI?

What happens after you build something that changes an industry? Fran Méndez created AsyncAPI—a specification now valued at $34 million—but he doesn’t have $34 million. In this raw conversation, Fran opens up about walking away from the project he built over 10 years, the brutal economics of open source, and why he’s now building Commune, a social network for newsletters. We talk about burnout, the “warehouse” of tech capitalism that slowly suffocates you, and why email might be one of the last spaces where people still have real control. If you’ve ever poured yourself into something bigger than you, felt the weight of expectations, or wondered what comes after you stop being “the guy” for something—this episode of the Naftiko Capabilities podcast is for you.