From Dotfiles to Dev Tools: My Open Source Journey in Developer Tooling

Title:
“From Dotfiles to Dev Tools: My Open Source Journey in Developer Tooling”

Abstract:
In this talk, I’ll share my journey at the intersection of developer tooling and open source, two areas I’ve been deeply passionate about for the past eight years. From hacking together shell productivity scripts in college to building Neovim plugins that are now starred by hundreds on GitHub, I've discovered that contributing to FOSS doesn’t require working at a big company or pushing massive PRs, it starts with scratching your own itch.

I’ll walk through how small, personal projects turned into widely used tools, how publishing consistently online opened doors to communities and conferences (including one in Tokyo!), and how being part of the open source ecosystem has helped me grow technically and creatively.

This isn’t a tutorial, it’s a call to action. Whether you're a student, a new dev, or just FOSS-curious, I want to show you that contributing to developer tooling in open source can be meaningful, fun, and wildly rewarding.

Talk Style & Format:
This will be a story-driven, visually rich talk—less text, more code snippets, GitHub screenshots, memes (yes, tasteful ones), and short demo clips. I’ll start with the big takeaway upfront: “You don’t need permission to contribute to open source—just curiosity, consistency, and a little stubbornness.”

What the audience will walk away with:

1. Motivation to get involved in open source, even with small, personal projects.

2. A behind-the-scenes look at building developer tools, from idea to published repo.

3. Lessons learned from shipping code in public, maintaining projects, and receiving feedback from the community.

4. Real-world insights into how FOSS contributions can impact your career, networking, and personal growth.

5. A strong case for open source as a form of self-expression and technical exploration.