From Curiosity to Contributor to Creator – Building and Sustaining Your Open Source Project

Once you’ve contributed to open source, the next step is starting your own project and turning it into something meaningful, impactful, and maybe even sustainable. This talk is for developers who want to go from writing code to leading communities and creating impact.

We explore a 3-part journey:

Build → Community → Sustain. You’ll learn how to launch your own open source project, from selecting the right license to writing a README that attracts contributors. We cover good practices: issue templates, contribution guidelines, and setting up a welcoming environment for others to join.

The session also dives into building and nurturing a community. What makes contributors stay? How do you engage them? You’ll learn how to create good-first-issues, organize contributor calls, and promote your work without sounding “salesy.”

Finally, we’ll talk about sustaining your project—financially and mentally. From GitHub Sponsors and Open Collective to open-core and grant opportunities, there are ways to grow without burning out. We’ll use stories from real open source projects to show what works (and what doesn’t). Attendees will leave ready to not just code, but lead.

• How to set up your own open source project the right way—structure, docs, and licenses.

• Techniques to attract contributors and grow a supportive, engaged community.

• Communication practices that retain contributors and reduce burnout.

• Real-world monetization strategies: donations, sponsorships, and premium offerings.

• How to balance openness with sustainability as your project scales.