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
   

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2. Honza
   Javorek
   ?
   

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3. honzaja
   vorek.cz junior.guru
   

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5. Learn by
   organizing
   1
   

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9. I got better in
   organizing, networking,
   and sourcing speakers
   

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10. I got better in
    Python
    

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11. I got to learn some
    Ruby too, eventually...
    2013-2015, RIP BRUG
    

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12. I didn't give a talk
    at Pyvo until 2012
    

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13. I started a meetup
    because I wanted to
    learn the topic
    

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14. I started a meetup
    because I wanted to
    learn the topic
    (BYO speakers)
    

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15. org
    lecturer
    

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16. Starting their courses and
    sessions because they
    want to learn the topic
    

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17. Starting their courses and
    sessions because they
    want to learn the topic
    (BYO lecturers)
    

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18. Choose the right
    event for your town
    2
    

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19. Brno Prague
    

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20. Ostrava!!!
    

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21. Ostrava!!!
    (full of Red Hat hiring flyers)
    

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22. Ostrava!!!
    Pyvo #1
    

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23. Ostrava!!!
    Pyvo #2
    

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24. Ostrava!!!
    Pyvo #3
    

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25. Pyvo is a
    networking event
    

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26. Networking is interesting
    especially for people
    with advanced knowledge
    

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27. Where do we get them
    in a town with not
    many Python people?
    

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28. We teach!
    

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30. Your town isn't too
    small for events
    specialized to Python
    

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31. Perhaps networking
    event isn’t the best
    fit for your town
    

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32. They didn’t know it was
    impossible so they did it
    3
    -- Mark Twain
    

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33. what about
    impossible
    I just do it?
    (help if you want)
    do it…! maybe
    start smaller!
    doubting
    Thomases
    actual
    Thomas
    

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35. Kick off alone,
    but replicate in time
    4
    

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36. I just did it
    efficient!
    

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37. community website
    scales better
    but agreeing is slow
    

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38. new version of the website?
    efficient!
    big changes?
    impossible
    

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39. which projector to buy?
    efficient!
    impossible
    

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40. Just do it!
    Kick off alone,
    then request comments
    

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41. BUT
    

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42. org
    lecturer
    efficient!
    2 in 1
    (for a start)
    

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43. org
    lecturer
    GOD!
    

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44. org
    lecturer
    prevents
    replication
    being GOD
    burn out
    leads to
    

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45. Don’t be a GOD
    (for too long)
    

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46. org
    lecturer
    hmm… I can become
    an org
    hmm… I can become
    a lecturer
    

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47. Documentation!
    

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52. Your job isn’t done yet
    if you’re the only one doing it
    5
    

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53. Organizing Brno Pyvo for
    5 years? From Prague?
    

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54. Hiring orgs, sharing
    tasks, rotating shifts
    

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55. Meetup still exists
    without its founder
    2010-2019
    

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56. Meetup still exists
    without its founder
    very proud
    parent face
    tears omg
    

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57. PyCon CZ
    PR & Social Media
    prevents
    replication
    being GOD
    burn out
    leads to
    

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58. Padawan!
    

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59. Hire
    

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60. Share tasks
    

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62. Ideally all PyCon CZ orgs
    were teams of at least two
    

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63. Write docs
    

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64. Move on
    2015
    Brno
    2016
    Brno
    2017
    Prague
    2018
    Prague
    

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66. If you quit without
    handover, everything
    you've built gets LOST and
    you achieved NOTHING
    

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67. Sharing tasks and
    raising padawans
    postpones burn out
    

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68. Create a life cycle
    of motivations
    6
    

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69. org
    lecturer
    hmm… I can become
    an org
    hmm… I can become
    a lecturer
    

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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
    

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71. Volunteering must
    not feel like a job
    7
    

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72. Your free time,
    your rules
    

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73. Overcommunicate!
    Don't let people assume!
    

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74. Let people know
    you're working
    (so they know they can count on you)
    

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75. Let people know
    you're NOT working
    (so they can replace you in time)
    

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76. NO BLAME
    Responsibility?
    Replaceability!
    

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77. Common goals can
    beat antipathies
    8
    

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78. From feminists to
    libertarians, we all unite in
    believing in Zen of Python
    

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79. Control < Service
    Unification < Federation
    9
    

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80. From the very beginning
    we talk, visit, and work
    across TOWNS
    

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81. Until today, we talk, visit,
    and work across
    ALL GROUPS
    

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82. There is no boss
    

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83. power, decisions
    work
    

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84. services
    power, decisions, work
    

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85. Control < Service
    

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86. pyvo.cz
    pyvo.cz?
    

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87. pyvo.cz
    pyworking.cz
    python.cz/en/events
    

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88. pyvo.cz
    pyworking.cz
    python.cz/en/events
    pydata.cz
    

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89. Unification < Federation
    

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90. Open by default
    drives engagement
    10
    

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92. added as #pydata org
    hmm #pyladies
    hmm #pyconcz
    helping to coach
    contributing with a PyData track
    

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93. Public Relations
    is also work
    11
    

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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
    

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95. sooooo fake
    superficial
    undeserved
    fraud
    

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96. Public Relations
    sells the work of others
    

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97. Public Relations
    is important!
    

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98. Public Relations
    is a honest work
    

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99. Public Relations
    is a skill not so many
    people can do
    

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100. Not so many people
     want to be so visible
     

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101. Modesty is okay,
     self-loathing* is not
     *hello impostor syndrome
     

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102. Community work
     pays off
     12
     

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103. I like to create stuff
     which helps others
     

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104. Helping others
     is GREAT FEELING
     

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105. I've invested tons
     of free time
     

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106. I've got tons of friends,
     opportunities, soft
     skills, references, and
     good job offers back
     

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107. I've learned Open Source
     or how to give a talk
     

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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
     

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109. I've learned how to
     organize an event
     e.g. wedding
     

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110. I'd be NOBODY without
     the Python community
     

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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
     

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