I did. I got my last job in the VFX industry because I'd learned python in my spare time writing external render engine plugins for Blender.
Ask HN: Has anyone got a job by contributing to open source projects?
31–40 of 56 posts
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone got a job by contributing to open source projects?
#32I didn't actually follow those, but it looks like if you start contributing to openstack, you'll get people emailing you with offers. Not as many now as 5 years ago, but still.
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone got a job by contributing to open source projects?
#33it will be an irrelevant question, but do you think that contributing to an open source is becoming a standard thing now?
Not in the slightest. Most developers are not participating in the startup ecosystem. They are working in enterprise organizations, or smaller "lifestyle" companies. They do their work, then go home, and do the rest of their life. Coding isn't their hobby, it is their job.
This is a good thing for both sides - people who really do have the passion to code all the time have an advantage at getting better jobs, more pay. And those who don't have better work/life balance. Neither choice is wrong, they just have different consequences.
But because both choices exist, open source participation will not be a standard thing.
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone got a job by contributing to open source projects?
#34I got my last job thanks to MarkSheet [1], a free open source tutorial I published on GitHub. Now that I'm freelancing, my work on an open source CSS framework called Bulma [2] has allowed me to find clients more easily. [1]: https://marksheet.io/ [2]: https://bulma.io/
Thanks for your work on Bulma! Are you available for freelance work? I’m starting to use Bulma on a new project and could use some customizations here and there.
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone got a job by contributing to open source projects?
#35It's hip to have open source in some fields, and not in others. I've heard negative comments on multiple interviews - especially when there's an overlap between the open source project and your future work. Will you devote your full working hours to the company or to your hobby contributions? Will you open source the IP of the company?
If you contribute to FSF projects, the FSF will ask your current and future employers to exclude any claims over your contributions - even your hobby contributions.
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone got a job by contributing to open source projects?
#36I got my last job thanks to MarkSheet [1], a free open source tutorial I published on GitHub. Now that I'm freelancing, my work on an open source CSS framework called Bulma [2] has allowed me to find clients more easily. [1]: https://marksheet.io/ [2]: https://bulma.io/
Thanks for your work on Bulma! Are you available for freelance work? I’m starting to use Bulma on a new project and could use some customizations here and there.
Drop me an email: https://jgthms.com/
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone got a job by contributing to open source projects?
#37I did!
I can't tell you how exciting it was to be hired to help a company enhance the https://github.com/spree/spree extension I authored.
It was the most rewarding phase of a 20+ year career.
Bottom line: if you make yourself known/valuable in a community, opportunities will pop up. Go for it!
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone got a job by contributing to open source projects?
#38Google Chrome is not open source. Chromium which contains the guts is. You should include some minimal contact information, because as of now I can't find any way to contact you. Been a Chromium contributor for a little while, so I might've been able to help a bit.
Thanks I've reached out via email. Thanks for the tip - I also updated my bio to include my email.
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone got a job by contributing to open source projects?
#39I am a potential employer (CEO TimescaleDB). Contributing to one of a company’s OSS projects or to a related project is great way to get that company’s attention and prove your ability even before any interviews.
TimescaleDB looks cool. I'll check it out and have a play with the source code.
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone got a job by contributing to open source projects?
#40I have met engineers who have been hired by FAANG companies and have told me that their regular community contributions towards high-profile open-source projects (They particularly mentioned QEMU, LLVM, Rust, Swift and V8) was the reason they got an offer. The barrier in regularly merging quality patches for review in these projects is very high and it is advantageous for the likes of these companies to shortlist you…
one point to keep in mind, even if you are not eligible to participate in GSoC, you can still volunteer for the projects. the advantage is that GSoC projects are already set up for mentoring, so they have the people you need, and they have projects for you to work on, so they will most likely be able to take you on.