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The Secret Sauce

In this chapter, we'll share some lesser-known strategies and tips for making a lasting impact in the open source community. We'll discuss how to focus on open issues, gain traction in your contributions, and develop your open source resume.

Open Issues — More than PRs that Fix Typos​

While fixing typos and improving documentation are valuable contributions to open source projects, it's essential to look beyond these low-hanging fruits and focus on addressing open issues. Tackling open issues not only helps the project move forward but also allows you to develop a deeper understanding of the codebase and demonstrate your problem-solving abilities.

Here are some tips for finding and addressing open issues:

  1. Browse the issue tracker: Most open source projects use an issue tracker to manage bugs, feature requests, and other tasks. Browse the issue tracker to find issues that align with your interests and skills.

  2. Look for beginner-friendly issues: Many projects use labels like "good first issue" or "help wanted" to indicate issues that are suitable for newcomers. Start with these issues to build your confidence and gain experience before tackling more complex tasks.

  3. Understand the issue: Before diving into an issue, make sure you understand the problem and the desired outcome. If you're unsure about anything, ask questions or seek clarification from the project maintainers or other contributors.

  4. Communicate your intentions: Before you start working on an issue, let the project maintainers and other contributors know that you're interested in addressing it. This can help avoid duplicated efforts and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

  5. Test your changes: Once you've addressed an issue, test your changes thoroughly to ensure they work as expected and don't introduce new problems.

By focusing on open issues rather than just fixing typos, you'll make a more significant impact on the projects you contribute to and demonstrate your commitment to the open source community.

Getting Traction in Contributions​

As you become more experienced in open source contributions, you may want to increase your impact on the projects you work on and gain recognition for your efforts. Here are some strategies for gaining traction in your contributions:

  1. Become a regular contributor: Consistently contribute to the same projects over time. This will help you develop a deeper understanding of the codebase, build relationships with other contributors, and establish yourself as a valuable member of the community.

  2. Take on challenging tasks: As you gain experience, tackle more complex issues and features. This will not only help you grow as a developer but also demonstrate your ability to handle challenging tasks and contribute meaningfully to the project.

  3. Collaborate with others: Open source is all about collaboration. Work with other contributors to address issues, develop features, and share knowledge. By collaborating effectively, you'll not only improve the project but also build a strong network of connections in the open source community.

  4. Share your expertise: Share your knowledge and insights by writing blog posts, creating tutorials, or giving presentations about the projects you work on. This will not only help others learn from your experiences but also establish you as a thought leader in the open source community.

  5. Mentor new contributors: As you become more experienced in open source contributions, consider mentoring new contributors who are just starting their open source journey. This can help you give back to the community, develop your leadership skills, and build a positive reputation.

Building Your Open Source Resume​

Building a strong open source resume can help you showcase your skills, experience, and contributions to potential employers, collaborators, and the wider developer community. Here are several effective ways to build and share your open source portfolio:

Portfolio Building Options​

  1. Contributor.info: An open-source tool that renders and displays your contribution data. You can use it to create a personalized page showcasing your open source activity across projects.

  2. GitHub Profile README: Your GitHub profile README is a pinned repository that displays at the top of your profile. Use it to highlight your best contributions, link to key pull requests, list projects you've worked on, and add badges or contribution stats. This is often the first thing recruiters and collaborators see.

  3. Personal Blog Posts: Write about your contribution experiences—what you learned, challenges you overcame, and the impact of your work. Blog posts demonstrate communication skills and provide context that raw contribution numbers cannot. Platforms like Dev.to, Hashnode, or your own blog work well.

  4. LinkedIn and Social Media: Share your merged pull requests, completed issues, and project milestones on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), or Mastodon. Professional visibility helps employers discover your work. Consider adding open source contributions to your LinkedIn Experience section or as featured projects.

Effectively Highlight Your Contributions​

Important information to include when showcasing your contributions:

  • New material you've created,
  • Project details (tools, libraries, size, and complexity),
  • The type of your contributions: bug fix, feature, performance, documentation, etc.,
  • The details of your contribution including improvements and impacts made on the project and on the community,
  • Collaboration and teamwork details.

Formatting Your Contribution Stories​

To be most effective in highlighting your contributions, we recommend using the following format:

  • Description: When describing your contribution, mention the impact it had on the overall project. This is especially helpful when applying for jobs or explaining employment gaps. Consider using this model to craft your story:
    • Success verb + noun + metric + outcome.
    • Example: While I was reviewing some pull requests for this year's GirlScript Summer of Code, I noticed that most of them would not merge in spite of me and the owner giving approvals. So, I created a GitHub Action where pull requests automatically merge once they have passed the deployment steps (success verb + noun), which increased productivity rates by 80% (metric + outcome).
  • Repository: Provide the complete name of the repository to which you made contributions.
  • URL: Paste the URL to your pull request, issue, or blog post so others can verify and learn from your work.

Share Your Portfolio​

Once you've built up a portfolio of open source contributions, share it widely—in your resume, job applications, social profiles, and when networking with other developers. Consistently showcasing your work helps you stand out in the open source community and the job market.

In conclusion, getting started with open source contributions and making a lasting impact on the projects you work on requires a combination of technical skills, collaboration, and persistence. By focusing on open issues, gaining traction in your contributions, and actively building and sharing your open source resume through these modern tools and platforms, you'll be well on your way to a successful and fulfilling open source journey.

In the next chapter, we will discuss various types of open source contributions.