From Waiting to Leading: Notes from My First GSoC Contriburor's Experience

Google Summer of Code(GSoC) Mentor Summit 2025 in Munich: How owning the project and running 3-line agendas turned communication into execution.

Transcript

1. Yuriko Kikuchi rocket.chat
2. Why Communication Matters in GSoC? Answer: It’s contributor-led. Communication is execution. • Contributor-led → mentee owns scope & cadence • Global & async → decisions must survive meetings • Volunteer time → clarity prevents stalls; artifacts keep continuity
3. My Case: From Waiting to Leading Before • Spoke little in calls; English anxiety froze me • Waited for prompts; no agenda, no explicit asks • Mentors couldn’t infer my intent or blockers Turning Point • Realized I own the project; mentors support • Said: “English isn’t my strength — please support me.” • Sent a 3-line agenda and chaired each call After • Speaking turns per meeting ≈5×; decisions faster • Quicker unblocks; fewer resets after missed weeks
4. Mentor Playbook: Enable Speaking, Ownership, Flow • Ownership hand-off: ask a 3-line agenda ◦ Status → Decision → Next step (owner/date) • Normalize clarification: script the first minute ◦ “Name two unclear points.” / “It’s fine to say I don’t understand.” • Single source + async default: one Living Doc ◦ Context / Decisions / Next Issue / Blockers / Links ◦ Batch questions daily with options + default.