Abstract Proprietary development solutions are often perceived as being delivered more quickly and easily than open methods, fueling the misconception that they inherently produce better overall outcomes. However, we argue that open development practices can lead to both efficient and maximally impactful outcomes. One successful strategy for accelerating open approaches in the geosciences is co‐creation, a model that emphasizes shared ownership between developers and users. This approach creates a collaborative flywheel dynamic—pioneered in the geosciences by the Pangeo project—that encourages teamwork, standardizes access to shared infrastructure, and facilitates iterations of stakeholder feedback and development to accelerate solution finding.