How to make your open-source project thrive, with Andrey Petrov

Transcript

1. making open source projects thrive … As narrated by @shazow (Andrey Petrov)
2. Bit about me... • Open Sourcing things since ~2007 • Mildly popular on Github… • I like doing startuppy things ◦ Y-Combinator ◦ Google Acquihiree ◦ Bootstrapping Briefmetrics and other things
3. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/572832261650952192 Open source lessons
4. First Why and how to get started with open source Second What to do once you already have a project and want it to thrive
5. What’s Open Source?
6. Why open source your code?
7. Why open source your code? • Mechanism for reducing sunk cost
8. Why open source your code? • Mechanism for reducing sunk cost • Free replicated backups
9. Why open source your code? • Mechanism for reducing sunk cost • Free replicated backups • Easy to link to and ask for help
10. Why open source your code? • Mechanism for reducing sunk cost • Free replicated backups • Easy to link to and ask for help • Even more emails from recruiters
11. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/482660776788774913
12. Why open source your code? • Mechanism for reducing sunk cost • Free replicated backups • Easy to link to and ask for help • Even more emails from recruiters • That smug feeling of being better than other people
13. Bad reasons for not open sourcing • “Somebody might see my terrible code!”
15. Bad reasons for not open sourcing • “Somebody might see my terrible code!” • “It’s not ready yet.”
16. Bad reasons for not open sourcing • “Somebody might see my terrible code!” • “It’s not ready yet.” • “It’s just one file.”
17. Bad reasons for not open sourcing • “Somebody might see my terrible code!” • “It’s not ready yet.” • “It’s just one file.” • “I don’t want to write docs for it.”
18. Bad reasons for not open sourcing “I don’t have enough time”
19. Quick survey! • Who here uses Python?
20. Quick survey! • Who here uses Python? • … do you use urllib3?
21. Quick survey! • Who here uses Python? • … urllib3? • … requests?
22. Quick survey! • Who here uses Python? • … urllib3? • … requests? • … pip?
23. TRICK QUESTION!! pip ⊃ requests ⊃ urllib3 Which brings me to...
24. What is success?
25. What is success? • github.com/shazow/urllib3 ◦ Published in 2008 ◦ Used by millions today ◦ 785 stars on Github ◦ Slow, steady, calculated growth
26. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/492842650534293504
27. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/497483182854242304
28. What is success? • github.com/shazow/ssh-chat ◦ Fun weekend project a few months ago ◦ Used by like 15 people today ◦ 1560 stars on Github ◦ Huge burst of early growth, but mostly abandoned
29. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/543852069417787392
30. What is success? • github.com/shazow/dotfiles ◦ Lovingly maintained for years ◦ Used by me, often linked to others ◦ 7 stars on Github
32. What is success? • github.com/shazow/dotfiles ◦ Lovingly maintained for years ◦ Used by me, often linked to others ◦ 7 stars on Github ◦ Intrinsically motivated, never going away
33. Step 1. What do you really want? • Users?
34. Step 1. What do you really want? • Users? • Contributors?
35. Step 1. What do you really want? • Users? • Contributors? • Praise?
36. Step 1. What do you really want? • Users? • Contributors? • Praise? • Talk opportunities?
37. Step 1. What do you really want? • Users? • Contributors? • Praise? • Talk opportunities? • Dolla dolla billz?
38. Step 1. What do you really want? • Users? • Contributors? • Praise? • Talk opportunities? • Dolla dolla billz? • More recruiter emails?
39. Step 2. Figure out what to build
40. Step 2. Figure out what to build • Contribute to an existing project?
41. Step 2. Figure out what to build • Contribute to an existing project? ◦ A noble endeavour ◦ Fix what you’re already using
42. Step 2. Figure out what to build • Contribute to an existing project? ◦ A noble endeavour ◦ Fix what you’re already using • Start a new project?
43. Step 2. Figure out what to build • Contribute to an existing project? ◦ A noble endeavour ◦ Fix what you’re already using • Start a new project? ◦ More glory ◦ Need to figure out what’s valuable...
44. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/567797705570836480
45. Problem: Upload billions of images to S3 in 2008. The story of urllib3
46. Problem: Upload billions of images to S3 in 2008. Problem: It’s going to take +3 weeks because there is no concurrency. The story of urllib3
47. Problem: It’s going to take +3 weeks because there is no concurrency. Solution: s3funnel, multithreaded S3 client The story of urllib3
48. Solution: s3funnel, multithreaded S3 client Problem: Managing threads is painful. >.< The story of urllib3
49. Solution: s3funnel, multithreaded S3 client Problem: Managing threads is painful. >.< Solution: workerpool (used in s3funnel) The story of urllib3
50. Solution: s3funnel, multithreaded S3 client Solution: workerpool (used in s3funnel) The story of urllib3
51. Solution: s3funnel, multithreaded S3 client Solution: workerpool (used in s3funnel) Problem: HTTP libraries don’t re-use connections, most solutions aren’t threadsafe, and no multipart (filepost) encoding. The story of urllib3
52. Problems all the way down
53. Solution: s3funnel, multithreaded S3 client Solution: workerpool (used in s3funnel) Solution: urllib3 (used in s3funnel) The story of urllib3
54. Solution space s3funnel Usecase: Upload things to S3
55. Solution space workerpool s3funnel Usecase: Manage your threads (not a super-common use case in Python-land)
56. Solution space workerpool s3funnel urllib3 Usecase: ALL http related things. APIs, crawling… and APIs!!
57. Problems seeking solutions urllib3 workerpool s3funnel
58. Problems seeking solutions urllib3 workerpool s3funnel
59. Maybe it was all timing? • Python in 2008 was not as mature, easier to make a popular http library?
60. Maybe it was all timing? • Python in 2008 was not as mature, easier to make a popular http library? ◦ urllib3 didn’t get “big” until ~2012
61. Maybe it was all timing? • Python in 2008 was not as mature, easier to make a popular http library? ◦ urllib3 didn’t get “big” until ~2012 • Find any 7-yearold language and write http clients for it?
62. Maybe it was all timing? • Python in 2008 was not as mature, easier to make a popular http library? ◦ urllib3 didn’t get “big” until ~2012 • Find any 7-yearold language and write http clients for it? ◦ Not that simple, Go launched with a comparatively great HTTP client right out of the gate.
64. Step 3. Minimum Viable OSS
65. Step 3. Minimum Viable OSS • Open source it, put it on Github.
66. Step 3. Minimum Viable OSS • Open source it, put it on Github. • README
68. Step 3. Minimum Viable OSS • Open source it, put it on Github. • README ◦ What is it? Can I use it? • Really good README ◦ What's the license? What can I do with it? How to contribute?
71. Step 3. Minimum Viable OSS • Open source it, put it on Github. • README ◦ What is it? Can I use it? • Really good README ◦ What's the license? What can I do with it? How to contribute? • Even better README
74. Making it thrive • If you build it, that doesn’t mean they’ll come.
75. Making it thrive • If you build it, that doesn’t mean they’ll come. • github.com/shazow: ◦ 44 source projects ◦ 16 with more than 5 stars ◦ Arguably 3 “popular” projects
76. ASK FOR HELP
77. ASK FOR HELP • Get people to send pull requests
78. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/545027120116690944
79. ASK FOR HELP • Get people to send pull requests • Ask specific people to help review
80. ASK FOR HELP—AND ACCEPT IT!!! • Get people to send pull requests • Ask specific people to help review • Accept pull requests very generously, especially in the beginning
81. ASK FOR HELP—AND ACCEPT IT!!! • Get people to send pull requests • Ask specific people to help review • Accept pull requests very generously, especially in the beginning • Get people involved!
82. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/545317310546735104
83. ASK FOR HELP—AND ACCEPT IT!!! • Get people to send pull requests • Ask specific people to help review • Accept pull requests very generously, especially in the beginning • Get people involved! • Please be nice
84. Promote your project • Write interesting blog posts (and promote them)
85. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/551120576010403840
86. … If only I could retweet my own tweets. >.>
87. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/551128846397751297
89. Promote your project • Write interesting blog posts • Answer StackOverflow questions
92. “If anyone is up for improving our documentation to this effect, that would be greatly appreciated. :) …”
94. “I would be +1 to adding something like this if you’re interested in making a PR. :) (Opened an issue here…)”
95. Promote your project • Write interesting blog posts • Answer StackOverflow questions • Participate in discussions (HN, Reddit, etc)
97. Feed the non-trolls
98. … Would you rather click Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet (ipsum.org) 8 points by batman 3 hours ago | flag | 1 comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet (ipsum.org) 8 points by batman 3 hours ago | flag | 7 comments
99. Promote your project • Write interesting blog posts • Answer StackOverflow questions • Participate in discussions (HN, Reddit, etc) • Sell to other projects and establish partnerships.
100. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/524672011516145665
102. So you’re swimming in pull requests, what’s next? Monetizing Open Source
103. So you’re swimming in pull requests, what’s next? Dolla dolla billz, ofc. Monetizing Open Source
104. “We want to be like Docker…”
105. “We want to be like Docker…” • Why is Docker doing so well? ◦ Very well funded. ◦ Thousands of contributors helping for FREE!
106. “We want to be like Docker…” • Why is Docker doing so well? • Kinda like having your cake and eating it too (you’ll need two cakes).
107. “We want to be like Docker…” • Why is Docker doing so well? • Kinda like having your cake and eating it too (you’ll need two cakes). • This is actually somewhat common...
108. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/567838766544515072
109. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker)
110. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker) • Dogfooding (Gratipay)
111. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker) • Dogfooding (Gratipay) • Consulting & Support (Nginx)
112. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker) • Dogfooding (Gratipay) • Consulting & Support (Nginx) • Advertising (Mozilla)
113. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker) • Dogfooding (Gratipay) • Consulting & Support (Nginx) • Advertising (Mozilla) • Charity & Grants (GnuPG)
117. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker) • Dogfooding (Gratipay) • Consulting & Support (Nginx) • Advertising (Mozilla) • Charity & Grants (GnuPG)
118. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker) • Dogfooding (Gratipay) • Consulting & Support (Nginx) • Advertising (Mozilla) • Charity & Grants (GnuPG, urllib3?)
119. https://twitter.com/shazow/status/524982245744836608
121. Moving forward: Monetizing 0$$
122. Moving forward: Monetizing 0$$
123. Results: HUGE SUCCESS* * ‘success’ is a lie.
124. Results: HUGE SUCCESS* • One $5 donation via Donorbox (via Stripe!) • One $5 Bitcoin donation via Coinbase. • Gittip grew by 50% ($1/wk → $1.50/wk, lol) • … Lessons were learned. * ‘success’ is a lie.
125. Funding Open Source • Significant time chunks required for meaningful progress (at least half-day slots).
126. Funding Open Source • Significant time chunks required for meaningful progress (at least half-day slots). • Peer-funded is not practical for most cases.
127. Funding Open Source • Significant time chunks required for meaningful progress (at least half-day slots). • Peer-funded is not practical for most cases. • Need to hack accounting for corporate funding.
128. Funding Open Source • Significant time chunks required for meaningful progress (at least half-day slots). • Peer-funded is not practical for most cases. • Need to hack accounting for corporate funding. • Fantasy: Government-funded open source.
129. Dear Stripe, Your contributions had a big impact on open source. I hope more companies will follow your lead. Thank you. Love, Andrey
130. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker) • Dogfooding (Gratipay) • Consulting & Support (Nginx) • Advertising (Mozilla) • Charity & Grants (GnuPG, urllib3?) • … More???
131. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker) • Dogfooding (Gratipay) • Consulting & Support (Nginx) • Advertising (Mozilla) • Charity & Grants (GnuPG, urllib3?) • Kickstarter (Neovim)
132. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker) • Dogfooding (Gratipay) • Consulting & Support (Nginx) • Advertising (Mozilla) • Charity & Grants (GnuPG, urllib3?) • Kickstarter (Neovim) • Speculation (Bitcoin)
133. Corp’en Source business models • Open Core (Docker) • Dogfooding (Gratipay) • Consulting & Support (Nginx) • Advertising (Mozilla) • Charity & Grants (GnuPG) • Kickstarter (Neovim) • Speculation (Bitcoin)
134. Corp’en Source business models Open source first, make money later?
135. Making your OSS thrive
136. Making your OSS thrive • Make an awesome README.
137. Great README • What is it? Is it what I’m looking for?
138. Great README • What is it? Is it what I’m looking for? • Demo? What else can I do with it?
139. Great README • What is it? Is it what I’m looking for? • Demo? What else can I do with it? • Link to more docs?
140. Great README • What is it? Is it what I’m looking for? • Demo? What else can I do with it? • Link to more docs? • License?
141. Great README • What is it? Is it what I’m looking for? • Demo? What else can I do with it? • Link to more docs? • License? • How do I contribute? Run Tests?
142. Great README • What is it? Is it what I’m looking for? • Demo? What else can I do with it? • Link to more docs? • License? • How do I contribute? Run Tests? • Goals? Future milestones?
143. Making your OSS thrive • Make an awesome README. • Push to Github.
144. Making your OSS thrive • Make an awesome README. • Push to Github. • Maybe even write some code!
145. Making your OSS thrive • Make an awesome README. • Push to Github. • Maybe even write some code! (And push it) • Get people involved, be generous and nice.
146. Get people involved • Ask for help. • Call specific people out. • Please be nice. • Accept generously.
147. Making your OSS thrive • Make an awesome README. • Push to Github. • Maybe even write some code! (And push it) • Get people involved, be generous and nice. • Promote your work.
148. Promote your work • Write interesting blog posts. • Share it with your friends, multiple times. • Find people with the problem you solved. • Give talks about it. • Find projects which benefit from your solution.
149. Making your OSS thrive • Make an awesome README. • Push to Github. • Maybe even write some code! (And push it) • Get people involved, be generous and nice. • Promote your work. • Do it a bunch of times.
150. You don’t need to wait for my next talk to read my tweets! twitter.com/shazow
151. You don’t need to wait for my next talk to read my tweets! twitter.com/shazow