Meet Manik Surtani, Block’s Head of Open Source
Open source has been embedded in Block’s DNA since our earliest days as Square. But while open source initiatives have long been part of the way we build, they remained largely informally driven –– until now. In late 2024, we reinforced our strategic commitment to open source by establishing a dedicated Open Source Program Office with industry veteran Manik Surtani leading Block’s overall open source strategy.
With nearly 12 years at Block and decades of experience in the open source community, Manik brings both historical perspective and a forward-thinking approach to this role.
“Open source is becoming a fundamental part of Block’s identity. It aligns perfectly with our mission to create an inclusive financial system,” says Manik.
“By sharing our technology and collaborating with others, we’re helping to create a more open, accessible economy where innovation can come from anywhere.”
We sat down with Manik to learn about Block’s open source journey; our AI framework, codename goose; and how transparency through open source aligns with our purpose of economic empowerment.
You’re a Block veteran. Tell us about your background in open source and how you came to join the team.
I’ve been at Block for almost 12 years now, but my open source journey began long before that. I’m an engineer by trade, specializing in distributed systems and databases. I was part of the team that built JBoss, an open source application server that was eventually acquired by Red Hat. During my time at Red Hat, I helped shape how companies could build sustainable businesses around open source technology.
In 2013, Block’s first CTO reached out to me. At the time, Square (as Block was then called) was facing scaling challenges and needed to build payment systems capable of handling transactions for large customers at significant volumes. I joined to help solve these foundational infrastructure problems.
Over the years, I’ve worked in various roles at Block — from engineering to management and back to engineering again. I’ve worked deep in infrastructure, working in our data centers, building messaging systems, networks, and load balancers, many of which are open source today. I also led the cloud platform team for Cash App for many years.
My most recent iteration at Block began last year when Jack, our Block Head, reached out, saying he wanted to make open source central to the company and was looking for someone to lead that initiative.
Can you explain what open source is, for those who may be unfamiliar with the term?
Back in the early days of mainframes, software was always effectively open source. Computers were incredibly expensive, and what you were buying was big, complicated hardware from a mainframe vendor. The software was just a little thing to make the hardware work, and you had to customize it to fit your company’s needs.
As technology progressed, software became the thing that was really valuable. Companies tried to capitalize on that by locking software behind closed doors and commercializing software as a standalone product rather than bundling it with hardware.
But people wanted access to the software to make changes, customize it, and solve their problems. There were two ways to address this that didn’t involve building from scratch. One was hiring a consulting company to build something customized, but they would still retain ownership of the resulting product. The other way was open source, sharing the source code so everyone could inspect and make changes for their specific use cases. That movement started as the Free Software Movement, which evolved into the Open Source Movement.
Over time, businesses have recognized the strategic benefits of leveraging proprietary elements for competitive differentiation and coexisting with open source models.
Tell us about Block’s Open Source Program Office — what are you and the team focused on?
Our Open Source Program Office (OSPO) handles education, communication, and governance, and makes sure our open source strategy aligns with company goals. Beyond the policy work, we’re creating an environment where open source can thrive across Block.
In the coming year, we’re focusing on helping teams across Block open source their work by providing frameworks, guidelines, and support. We’re seeing a groundswell of interest, with many people saying, “I want to open source this thing, but I’ve never done it before and need help.”
We’re also working on more strategic open source initiatives, particularly around AI, and we’re looking at open sourcing infrastructure that we’ve built over the years.
Overall, our OSPO is making open source a central part of Block’s identity and engineering strategy.
Can you tell us about the evolution of open source at Block? How has it changed since you first joined?
We’ve always been an open source-friendly company.
“When I joined in 2013, our entire stack was based on open source.”
The register that we built was based on Android, which is open source. We hired many people from open source communities, which created a snowball effect of open source culture within Block.
Over the years, we’ve had several significant contributions. For example, the original Android HTTP client wasn’t performing well, so at Square we rewrote the entire HTTP client. We open sourced it, and it quickly became the most popular networking stack for Android. Eventually, Google approached us saying they wanted to make it a default in Android, replacing their own HTTP client. That’s still the case today.
Another significant contribution was gRPC (a communication protocol), which I led in 2015. Today, gRPC is the de facto standard for how internet servers communicate on the backend. We had a proprietary internal communication system which we wanted to modernize and release as open source. When I discovered Google had similar plans, I reached out to propose collaboration. We designed a whole new framework meant to outlast both Google and Square. Today, it’s used by companies worldwide.
We’ve also contributed performance fixes to MySQL that benefit everyone (from large tech companies to startups, governments, and nonprofits alike), created database migration tools, and built various infrastructure components.
The big difference in what we’re doing today compared to the last 12 years is that we’re finally putting all our open source efforts under one umbrella and democratizing open source throughout the company. We want to make it a core part of our identity, not just something that happens in pockets.
The team recently launched codename goose, an open framework for AI — tell us how that project came about.
codename goose has a great origin story. It started as an internal tool to help software developers be more productive. The name originally came from Top Gun, with Goose being the sidekick — the person who has your back.
Technically, codename goose is more of a framework for an AI agent than an agent itself. It’s highly pluggable and extensible. You can configure which AI models it communicates with, and you can give it “arms and legs” — access to your laptop, browser, code repositories, deployment systems, and more.
The problem codename goose originally solved was automating repetitive development tasks, allowing engineers to focus on higher-value work. But since we open sourced it, people have found many more use cases: organizing calendars, managing files in Google Drive, and other productivity tasks well beyond engineering.
We made codename goose open source because we realized its value would grow exponentially with community contributions. People could give it more “arms and legs” and “brains” in ways we hadn’t thought of. And that’s exactly what happened. After open sourcing, it quickly became the #1 trending project on GitHub, going from a few hundred to 9,000 stars in just weeks.
Now other companies are not only using codename goose but contributing improvements back to the project. codename goose is growing more powerful precisely because we released it under an open source license.
How does Block’s work in open source connect to economic empowerment?
Economic empowerment hinges on consumer choice, which is accelerated by open protocols and standards. Another huge part is trust. Open source provides that trust by offering transparency, auditability, and interoperability. And of course we’re also making it available for free. Using goose with a free model like Gemini 2.0 Flash lets people access agentic AI, powerful and expensive technology, without its prohibitive costs.
“By making our technology open source, even if a competitor takes it and runs with it and finds a better way to provide economic empowerment, well, that’s our purpose being met.”
We can then collaborate with them or build on top of their improvements.
How do you think about trust when it comes to open source?
Trust comes from transparency, and open source is the ultimate form of transparency in technology. When your code is open for anyone to inspect, it builds trust in several ways.
First, it demonstrates confidence in your work. By opening up our technology for public inspection, we’re essentially saying, “We stand behind the quality of our work, and we have nothing to hide.”
Second, it allows for independent verification and auditing. In financial technology, where correctness, compliance, and security are paramount, open source means that experts worldwide can review our code, find potential issues, and suggest improvements. This leads to more robust, secure systems that customers and regulators can trust.
Third, open source creates interoperability and portability, which builds trust with customers who want to avoid vendor lock-in. When users know they can take their data elsewhere if needed, it creates a healthier relationship based on choice rather than dependence.
Finally, in the regulatory space, open source can help with the increasing demand for transparency and explainability in financial systems. It can help regulators better understand how our systems work, which helps build trust in our compliance efforts.
By open sourcing components of our ecosystem, we’re creating a foundation of trust that strengthens our relationships with customers, developers, partners, and regulators.
Looking ahead: The future of open source at Block
As we continue to expand our open source initiatives, we’re excited about the possibilities for innovation and collaboration. The establishment of our Open Source Program Office marks just the beginning of a more coordinated, strategic approach to open source across all our brands and products.
For developers interested in our open source work, you can explore our projects on GitHub and get involved with goose and other tools. We’re actively looking for contributors and always open to feedback and collaboration.
Open source has been embedded in Block’s DNA since our earliest days as Square. But while open source initiatives have long been part of the way we build, they remained largely informally driven –– until now. In late 2024, we reinforced our strategic commitment to open source by establishing a dedicated Open Source Program Office with industry veteran Manik Surtani leading Block’s overall open source strategy.
With nearly 12 years at Block and decades of experience in the open source community, Manik brings both historical perspective and a forward-thinking approach to this role.
“Open source is becoming a fundamental part of Block’s identity. It aligns perfectly with our mission to create an inclusive financial system,” says Manik.
“By sharing our technology and collaborating with others, we’re helping to create a more open, accessible economy where innovation can come from anywhere.”
We sat down with Manik to learn about Block’s open source journey; our AI framework, codename goose; and how transparency through open source aligns with our purpose of economic empowerment.
You’re a Block veteran. Tell us about your background in open source and how you came to join the team.
I’ve been at Block for almost 12 years now, but my open source journey began long before that. I’m an engineer by trade, specializing in distributed systems and databases. I was part of the team that built JBoss, an open source application server that was eventually acquired by Red Hat. During my time at Red Hat, I helped shape how companies could build sustainable businesses around open source technology.
In 2013, Block’s first CTO reached out to me. At the time, Square (as Block was then called) was facing scaling challenges and needed to build payment systems capable of handling transactions for large customers at significant volumes. I joined to help solve these foundational infrastructure problems.
Over the years, I’ve worked in various roles at Block — from engineering to management and back to engineering again. I’ve worked deep in infrastructure, working in our data centers, building messaging systems, networks, and load balancers, many of which are open source today. I also led the cloud platform team for Cash App for many years.
My most recent iteration at Block began last year when Jack, our Block Head, reached out, saying he wanted to make open source central to the company and was looking for someone to lead that initiative.
Can you explain what open source is, for those who may be unfamiliar with the term?
Back in the early days of mainframes, software was always effectively open source. Computers were incredibly expensive, and what you were buying was big, complicated hardware from a mainframe vendor. The software was just a little thing to make the hardware work, and you had to customize it to fit your company’s needs.
As technology progressed, software became the thing that was really valuable. Companies tried to capitalize on that by locking software behind closed doors and commercializing software as a standalone product rather than bundling it with hardware.
But people wanted access to the software to make changes, customize it, and solve their problems. There were two ways to address this that didn’t involve building from scratch. One was hiring a consulting company to build something customized, but they would still retain ownership of the resulting product. The other way was open source, sharing the source code so everyone could inspect and make changes for their specific use cases. That movement started as the Free Software Movement, which evolved into the Open Source Movement.
Over time, businesses have recognized the strategic benefits of leveraging proprietary elements for competitive differentiation and coexisting with open source models.
Tell us about Block’s Open Source Program Office — what are you and the team focused on?
Our Open Source Program Office (OSPO) handles education, communication, and governance, and makes sure our open source strategy aligns with company goals. Beyond the policy work, we’re creating an environment where open source can thrive across Block.
In the coming year, we’re focusing on helping teams across Block open source their work by providing frameworks, guidelines, and support. We’re seeing a groundswell of interest, with many people saying, “I want to open source this thing, but I’ve never done it before and need help.”
We’re also working on more strategic open source initiatives, particularly around AI, and we’re looking at open sourcing infrastructure that we’ve built over the years.
Overall, our OSPO is making open source a central part of Block’s identity and engineering strategy.
Can you tell us about the evolution of open source at Block? How has it changed since you first joined?
We’ve always been an open source-friendly company.
“When I joined in 2013, our entire stack was based on open source.”
The register that we built was based on Android, which is open source. We hired many people from open source communities, which created a snowball effect of open source culture within Block.
Over the years, we’ve had several significant contributions. For example, the original Android HTTP client wasn’t performing well, so at Square we rewrote the entire HTTP client. We open sourced it, and it quickly became the most popular networking stack for Android. Eventually, Google approached us saying they wanted to make it a default in Android, replacing their own HTTP client. That’s still the case today.
Another significant contribution was gRPC (a communication protocol), which I led in 2015. Today, gRPC is the de facto standard for how internet servers communicate on the backend. We had a proprietary internal communication system which we wanted to modernize and release as open source. When I discovered Google had similar plans, I reached out to propose collaboration. We designed a whole new framework meant to outlast both Google and Square. Today, it’s used by companies worldwide.
We’ve also contributed performance fixes to MySQL that benefit everyone (from large tech companies to startups, governments, and nonprofits alike), created database migration tools, and built various infrastructure components.
The big difference in what we’re doing today compared to the last 12 years is that we’re finally putting all our open source efforts under one umbrella and democratizing open source throughout the company. We want to make it a core part of our identity, not just something that happens in pockets.
The team recently launched codename goose, an open framework for AI — tell us how that project came about.
codename goose has a great origin story. It started as an internal tool to help software developers be more productive. The name originally came from Top Gun, with Goose being the sidekick — the person who has your back.
Technically, codename goose is more of a framework for an AI agent than an agent itself. It’s highly pluggable and extensible. You can configure which AI models it communicates with, and you can give it “arms and legs” — access to your laptop, browser, code repositories, deployment systems, and more.
The problem codename goose originally solved was automating repetitive development tasks, allowing engineers to focus on higher-value work. But since we open sourced it, people have found many more use cases: organizing calendars, managing files in Google Drive, and other productivity tasks well beyond engineering.
We made codename goose open source because we realized its value would grow exponentially with community contributions. People could give it more “arms and legs” and “brains” in ways we hadn’t thought of. And that’s exactly what happened. After open sourcing, it quickly became the #1 trending project on GitHub, going from a few hundred to 9,000 stars in just weeks.
Now other companies are not only using codename goose but contributing improvements back to the project. codename goose is growing more powerful precisely because we released it under an open source license.
How does Block’s work in open source connect to economic empowerment?
Economic empowerment hinges on consumer choice, which is accelerated by open protocols and standards. Another huge part is trust. Open source provides that trust by offering transparency, auditability, and interoperability. And of course we’re also making it available for free. Using goose with a free model like Gemini 2.0 Flash lets people access agentic AI, powerful and expensive technology, without its prohibitive costs.
“By making our technology open source, even if a competitor takes it and runs with it and finds a better way to provide economic empowerment, well, that’s our purpose being met.”
We can then collaborate with them or build on top of their improvements.
How do you think about trust when it comes to open source?
Trust comes from transparency, and open source is the ultimate form of transparency in technology. When your code is open for anyone to inspect, it builds trust in several ways.
First, it demonstrates confidence in your work. By opening up our technology for public inspection, we’re essentially saying, “We stand behind the quality of our work, and we have nothing to hide.”
Second, it allows for independent verification and auditing. In financial technology, where correctness, compliance, and security are paramount, open source means that experts worldwide can review our code, find potential issues, and suggest improvements. This leads to more robust, secure systems that customers and regulators can trust.
Third, open source creates interoperability and portability, which builds trust with customers who want to avoid vendor lock-in. When users know they can take their data elsewhere if needed, it creates a healthier relationship based on choice rather than dependence.
Finally, in the regulatory space, open source can help with the increasing demand for transparency and explainability in financial systems. It can help regulators better understand how our systems work, which helps build trust in our compliance efforts.
By open sourcing components of our ecosystem, we’re creating a foundation of trust that strengthens our relationships with customers, developers, partners, and regulators.
Looking ahead: The future of open source at Block
As we continue to expand our open source initiatives, we’re excited about the possibilities for innovation and collaboration. The establishment of our Open Source Program Office marks just the beginning of a more coordinated, strategic approach to open source across all our brands and products.
For developers interested in our open source work, you can explore our projects on GitHub and get involved with goose and other tools. We’re actively looking for contributors and always open to feedback and collaboration.