How I Went From Open Source Contributor to Project Maintainer

As a full-stack software developer, I‘ve worked with numerous programming languages, frameworks, and libraries over the course of my career. One common thread throughout has been a reliance on open source software. From front-end frameworks like React to back-end languages like Python to developer tools like Visual Studio Code, much of the tech stack I use on a daily basis is built and maintained by a community of open source contributors.

But for a long time, I hesitated to become a contributor myself. Despite years of experience as a professional developer, I had preconceived notions that open source was the domain of coding geniuses with boundless free time. I assumed I‘d need to be an expert in a particular language or framework to have anything meaningful to contribute. So I stuck to my closed-source commercial projects, appreciating open source from afar but not venturing to get involved myself.

It wasn‘t until several years into my career that I finally worked up the courage to make my first open source contribution. I started small, scouring GitHub for beginner-friendly issues in projects I used and was passionate about. To my surprise, I found a wealth of opportunities to contribute, even as a relative newcomer to the open source world.

My first pull request was a simple bug fix for a small utility library. I nervously submitted the PR, half expecting to be laughed off for my amateur attempt. But to my delight, the project maintainer was welcoming and appreciative. They suggested a few improvements, which I eagerly incorporated, and then merged the PR. I was officially an open source contributor!

Encouraged by this positive experience, I began to contribute more regularly. I gravitated towards projects that I used heavily in my own work, figuring this was where I could provide the most value. As a full-stack developer, I was able to contribute to a wide range of projects, from front-end UI libraries to back-end frameworks to developer tooling.

With each contribution, I grew more comfortable with the norms and rhythms of open source development. I learned the importance of clear communication, detailed pull request descriptions, and respectful disagreement. I absorbed best practices around coding style, testing, and documentation. And I began to appreciate the unique challenges of asynchronous, distributed collaboration with strangers from all around the world.

As I contributed more, I also began to build relationships with the maintainers and other regular contributors to my favorite projects. I joined community chat channels and forums, helping to triage issues and review others‘ pull requests. I even had the opportunity to meet some of my fellow contributors in person at conferences and local meetups.

It was through one of these relationships that I eventually made the leap from contributor to maintainer. I had been heavily involved with a particular open source library for several months, contributing code, helping with issue triage, and participating in design discussions. When one of the lead maintainers asked if I‘d be interested in joining the maintainer team, I jumped at the chance.

Becoming a maintainer was a significant step up in responsibility. Suddenly I was the one responsible for reviewing and merging pull requests, publishing new releases, and shaping the overall direction of the project. It could be daunting at times—there was a constant stream of issues and PRs demanding attention, and tough decisions to be made about priorities and feature tradeoffs.

But it was also incredibly rewarding. As a maintainer, I was able to take a more active role in growing the community around the project. I worked hard to create a welcoming environment for contributors, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups in tech. I mentored new contributors, helping them to find issues to work on and providing guidance throughout the contribution process. And I collaborated with the other maintainers to continuously improve our development practices and project governance.

One of the challenges I faced as a maintainer was balancing the demands of the role with my other responsibilities. Maintainership is often an unpaid, volunteer position, and it can be tempting to pour endless time into a project you‘re passionate about. But I learned the hard way the importance of setting boundaries and avoiding burnout. I had to get comfortable saying no to feature requests that weren‘t aligned with the project‘s goals, delegating tasks to other trusted contributors, and taking breaks when needed to recharge.

Despite these challenges, being an open source maintainer has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career as a developer. It‘s given me the opportunity to collaborate with brilliant people from all around the world, to help shape tools that are used by thousands of developers, and to continuously push myself to learn and grow.

Looking at the open source ecosystem as a whole, it‘s clear that it has had a profound impact on the world of software development. According to a 2021 report from Synopsys, 98% of commercial codebases contained open source components, with open source comprising 75% of the average codebase. The Linux Foundation‘s 2020 FOSS Contributor Survey found that nearly 70% of respondents were paid by their employer for at least some of their open source contributions, highlighting the increasing importance of open source to companies.

But the open source world is not without its challenges. Maintainer burnout is a very real problem, with many popular projects relying on the unpaid labor of a small number of overworked maintainers. Sustainability is also a major concern, as projects struggle to secure the funding and resources needed for ongoing maintenance and development. And open source communities continue to grapple with issues of diversity, inclusion, and representation.

As a full-stack developer and open source maintainer, I believe that addressing these challenges will be critical for the long-term health and success of the open source ecosystem. We need to find ways to better support maintainers, whether through direct funding, institutional support, or simply greater recognition of their valuable contributions. We need to invest in mentorship and onboarding programs to help bring in a more diverse group of new contributors. And we need to continue to push for greater adoption of open source best practices and values within the broader software industry.

On a personal level, my journey from open source newcomer to project maintainer has been transformative. It‘s taught me the power of collaboration, the importance of empathy and clear communication, and the satisfaction of contributing to something larger than myself. It‘s made me a better developer, a better leader, and a better community member.

If you‘re a developer who‘s been hesitant to get involved in open source, I encourage you to take the leap. Start small, look for beginner-friendly issues, and don‘t be afraid to ask for help. The open source community is overwhelmingly welcoming and supportive, and there‘s truly a place for contributors of all skill levels and backgrounds.

If you do become an open source maintainer, know that it‘s both a great privilege and a significant responsibility. Be prepared to invest time and energy into the project, but also remember to take care of yourself and set clear boundaries. Lean on your fellow maintainers and trusted contributors, and don‘t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

Ultimately, open source is about more than just code. It‘s about people, collaboration, and the shared belief that we can build something better together than we ever could alone. It‘s a powerful force for innovation, for learning, and for positive change in the world. And I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it.