There’s something uniquely satisfying about seeing your name in the contributors list of a GitHub project you’ve long admired. It’s a sense of impact that goes beyond your 9-to-5 job—a quiet acknowledgment that, in some small way, you’ve helped make something better for everyone.
I wasn’t always into open source. Like many developers, I started my career focusing solely on my work tasks—feature tickets, bug fixes, and meeting sprint deadlines. Open source felt like an intimidating, exclusive club where only the “10x engineers” hung out. But over time, I realized: open source isn’t just for experts. It’s for anyone who’s curious, willing to learn, and interested in giving back.
Here’s my journey into open source—and how you can get started too.
Why I Started Contributing
1. Learning by Doing
There’s a limit to how much you can learn from tutorials. At some point, you need real-world codebases, real problems, and real users. Open source offered me exactly that. Instead of working on toy apps, I was digging into well-structured projects, understanding different coding styles, and debugging issues that impacted thousands of users.
Every pull request (PR) I made, even the small ones, helped me level up. I started understanding how large-scale applications are structured. I became more confident reading other people’s code. And I began to appreciate the art of clean commits, good documentation, and thoughtful code reviews.
2. Building Credibility
In a world where resumes can look eerily similar, contributing to open source became part of my personal brand. It showed initiative, passion, and community spirit. Recruiters started to take notice—not just because of the code, but because of the mindset it reflected.
One hiring manager even told me: “We love that you contribute to open source—it means you’re not just coding for the paycheck.”
3. Giving Back
I’ve used countless open-source tools over the years—React, VS Code, Linux, Node.js, and thousands of NPM packages. At some point, it felt wrong to only be a consumer. Even if I couldn’t contribute to big frameworks, I realized that documentation fixes, bug reports, and small utility functions were still valuable.
Open source is built on the shoulders of thousands of volunteers. Contributing is how we keep that ecosystem alive and thriving.
Common Myths (That Almost Stopped Me)
Before I made my first contribution, I had to unlearn a few things:
- “I need to be an expert.”
You don’t. Most open source repos have beginner-friendly issues labeledgood first issueorhelp wanted. Even fixing typos in the README or improving docs is a valid contribution. - “I have nothing to contribute.”
If you’ve ever used a library and thought “This error message is confusing,” or “This could use an example,” you already have something to offer. - “Maintainers are too busy to help me.”
While maintainers are often busy, most are grateful for contributors and happy to help—especially when you approach respectfully and do your homework.
How to Get Started
If you’re ready to dive in, here’s a simple roadmap:
1. Find a Project You Use or Like
Start with tools or libraries you already use. You’ll have better context and motivation. Look at their GitHub repos, check open issues, and see how active the community is.
Some good starting points:
- Frontend dev? Look at React, Vue
- Python user? Try Flask, Pandas
- Love productivity tools? Explore Obsidian plugins
2. Start Small
Don’t try to land a massive feature on your first PR. Fix a typo, improve docs, refactor a small function, or tackle a beginner-friendly bug. Learn the repo’s structure and contribution guidelines.
3. Engage with the Community
Join the project’s Discord or Slack if it has one. Read issues and discussions. Don’t be afraid to comment and ask questions (after doing some research).
A helpful way to introduce yourself:
“Hi! I’m new to contributing and would love to help with Issue #123. Is it still open? Any advice before I start?”
4. Learn Git (Just Enough)
Basic Git commands (clone, branch, commit, push, pull request) are all you need to start. Don’t let version control scare you off—there are plenty of tutorials to walk you through it.
5. Celebrate the Wins
Your first PR might be a one-line change. That’s still a win. It takes courage to contribute, and every step builds momentum.
Final Thoughts
Contributing to open source has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey as a developer—not because of fame or followers, but because of the sense of connection and purpose it brings.
You’re not just writing code. You’re becoming part of something bigger.
So if you’ve ever hesitated, wondering if open source is “for you,” let this be your nudge: Yes, it absolutely is.
Start small. Stay curious. And don’t underestimate the impact of your contributions—no matter how small they seem.
