All Hands on Deck: Preventing Mentorship Breakdowns in Open Source

Explore strategies to prevent mentorship breakdowns in open source communities through this insightful conference talk. Gain valuable insights from Divya Mohan's experiences as both a mentee and mentor in programs like Google Season of Docs and Kubernetes initiatives. Learn about common challenges in mentorship programs, including overcrowded cohorts, lack of structure, and communication issues. Discover best practices for effective mentorship, covering topics such as community involvement, named roles, gamification, scope management, and working in public. Understand how to address procedural, technical, personal, and interpersonal breakdowns in mentorship relationships. Acquire practical tips for both mentors and mentees to enhance their participation and create a more positive experience in open source mentorship programs.

Intro
What is mentorship
Mentorship in Open Source
Community Involvement
Mentorship Opportunities
Mentorship Failures
Procedural breakdowns
Named roles
Gamification
Scope in Context
Technical Breakdown
Dev Environments
Personal Breakdowns
Working in Public
Interpersonal breakdowns
What can we do about it
Resources
Conclusion