Free software communities have grown mature over the past years. Perceived as rebels in the very early days, they are nowadays widely recognized and appreciated. Like in life, growing up and professionalizing comes with a very own set of challenges and questions. Apart from factual discussions about governance, licensing or legal structures, the human factor plays an even more important role.
At FOSS Backstage Extra 2020, I had the opportunity to give a webinar titled “On communities, cooperation and cooking”. I share my very personal experience with open source communities, talk about the great and inspiring mentors I’ve had, and shed a light on the valuable lessons I learned as well as the many mistakes I made. We will walk together through my ten thoughts on community leadership, including cooperation, commitment, coordination, trust and reward. Let’s dive into some ideas on project governance and nonprofit entities. Assuming you’re hungry for this journey, I tell you why free software and cooking have more in common than you may think and why you should cook your own open source event, as working in your local community is even more tasty than in virtual space. Bon appetit!