12 lessons learned from 9 years of community work

Since 2011, when he founded Pyvo in Brno, Honza has been helping to drive the growth and success of the Czech Python User Group. For years he has been participating in volunteer-driven meetups, courses, workshops, conferences, the Pyvec nonprofit, and more. Listen to a few lessons he has learned during his community work, which he thinks could help others to better understand how to succeed in volunteering.

Transcript

1. years of community work 12 9 lessons learned from
2. Honza Javorek ?
3. honzaja vorek.cz junior.guru
5. Learn by organizing 1
9. I got better in organizing, networking, and sourcing speakers
10. I got better in Python
11. I got to learn some Ruby too, eventually... 2013-2015, RIP BRUG
12. I didn't give a talk at Pyvo until 2012
13. I started a meetup because I wanted to learn the topic
14. I started a meetup because I wanted to learn the topic (BYO speakers)
15. org lecturer
16. Starting their courses and sessions because they want to learn the topic
17. Starting their courses and sessions because they want to learn the topic (BYO lecturers)
18. Choose the right event for your town 2
19. Brno Prague
20. Ostrava!!!
21. Ostrava!!! (full of Red Hat hiring flyers)
22. Ostrava!!! Pyvo #1
23. Ostrava!!! Pyvo #2
24. Ostrava!!! Pyvo #3
25. Pyvo is a networking event
26. Networking is interesting especially for people with advanced knowledge
27. Where do we get them in a town with not many Python people?
28. We teach!
30. Your town isn't too small for events specialized to Python
31. Perhaps networking event isn’t the best fit for your town
32. They didn’t know it was impossible so they did it 3 -- Mark Twain
33. what about impossible I just do it? (help if you want) do it…! maybe start smaller! doubting Thomases actual Thomas
35. Kick off alone, but replicate in time 4
36. I just did it efficient!
37. community website scales better but agreeing is slow
38. new version of the website? efficient! big changes? impossible
39. which projector to buy? efficient! impossible
40. Just do it! Kick off alone, then request comments
41. BUT
42. org lecturer efficient! 2 in 1 (for a start)
43. org lecturer GOD!
44. org lecturer prevents replication being GOD burn out leads to
45. Don’t be a GOD (for too long)
46. org lecturer hmm… I can become an org hmm… I can become a lecturer
47. Documentation!
52. Your job isn’t done yet if you’re the only one doing it 5
53. Organizing Brno Pyvo for 5 years? From Prague?
54. Hiring orgs, sharing tasks, rotating shifts
55. Meetup still exists without its founder 2010-2019
56. Meetup still exists without its founder very proud parent face tears omg
57. PyCon CZ PR & Social Media prevents replication being GOD burn out leads to
58. Padawan!
59. Hire
60. Share tasks
62. Ideally all PyCon CZ orgs were teams of at least two
63. Write docs
64. Move on 2015 Brno 2016 Brno 2017 Prague 2018 Prague
66. If you quit without handover, everything you've built gets LOST and you achieved NOTHING
67. Sharing tasks and raising padawans postpones burn out
68. Create a life cycle of motivations 6
69. org lecturer hmm… I can become an org hmm… I can become a lecturer
70. org lecturer wants to give back attendee coach wants to teach or gives back by organizing wants to get better at teaching wants to teach or gives back by teaching easy easy
71. Volunteering must not feel like a job 7
72. Your free time, your rules
73. Overcommunicate! Don't let people assume!
74. Let people know you're working (so they know they can count on you)
75. Let people know you're NOT working (so they can replace you in time)
76. NO BLAME Responsibility? Replaceability!
77. Common goals can beat antipathies 8
78. From feminists to libertarians, we all unite in believing in Zen of Python
79. Control < Service Unification < Federation 9
80. From the very beginning we talk, visit, and work across TOWNS
81. Until today, we talk, visit, and work across ALL GROUPS
82. There is no boss
83. power, decisions work
84. services power, decisions, work
85. Control < Service
86. pyvo.cz pyvo.cz?
87. pyvo.cz pyworking.cz python.cz/en/events
88. pyvo.cz pyworking.cz python.cz/en/events pydata.cz
89. Unification < Federation
90. Open by default drives engagement 10
92. added as #pydata org hmm #pyladies hmm #pyconcz helping to coach contributing with a PyData track
93. Public Relations is also work 11
94. knows nothing talks a lot shares stuff on F B celebrity knows everything works a lot doesn't spend life on F B invisible
95. sooooo fake superficial undeserved fraud
96. Public Relations sells the work of others
97. Public Relations is important!
98. Public Relations is a honest work
99. Public Relations is a skill not so many people can do
100. Not so many people want to be so visible
101. Modesty is okay, self-loathing* is not *hello impostor syndrome
102. Community work pays off 12
103. I like to create stuff which helps others
104. Helping others is GREAT FEELING
105. I've invested tons of free time
106. I've got tons of friends, opportunities, soft skills, references, and good job offers back
107. I've learned Open Source or how to give a talk
108. Being an introvert, I was forced into social skills - I had to get my job done regardless my anxieties still not able to call strangers btw
109. I've learned how to organize an event e.g. wedding
110. I'd be NOBODY without the Python community
112. 1 Learn by organizing 2 Right event for your town 3 Do impossible 4 Kick off alone, but replicate 5 Don't quit without handover 6 Life cycle of motivations 7 Volunteering is not a job 8 Common goals beat antipathies 9 Service, Federation 10 Open by default 11 Fight impostor syndrome 12 Community work pays off