The piece critiques the Open Semantic Interchange (OSI) initiative, highlighting its approach to establishing open standards for semantic layer interoperability. The author argues that OSI's strategy misses key elements necessary for success. For instance, OSI branded itself before building a community, which typically emerges from shared challenges and collaborative processes. This branding approach risks making the initiative feel more like a marketing campaign than a genuine collective effort. Communication has largely relied on corporate channels, particularly from Snowflake, rather than fostering two-way engagement with a diverse community. This one-sided communication undermines trust and presents the “community” as merely an audience. Governance is also lacking; there’s no public record of decision-making processes or conflict resolution, which are essential for creating legitimacy. The absence of a neutral stewardship, such as a foundation, raises concerns about Snowflake's control over the initiative, potentially leading to vendor capture. Ignoring existing models in the semantic layer further complicates OSI’s goals. The initiative fails to acknowledge established systems, which could facilitate interoperability. Instead, it pushes a singular design that may alienate potential adopters. The relationship with dbt Labs’ MetricFlow is particularly problematic, as the OSI spec appears to be closely tied to this vendor, limiting broader participation and investment from competitors. Without a clear migration path for users moving to this new standard, the chances for adoption diminish. The author emphasizes that successful open standards require coordinated efforts and aligned incentives across all stakeholders, not just well-crafted documentation or technical specifications.