Maintaining an Open Source Project While Sustaining Your Sanity

Explore strategies for effectively maintaining an open-source project while preserving mental well-being in this 48-minute Linux Foundation conference talk. Gain insights from Andrew Gaul as he delves into the multifaceted role of project maintainers, covering essential aspects such as product management, user interaction, release management, and team leadership. Learn to navigate challenges like project scope, forks, and technical debt while prioritizing long-term sustainability. Discover techniques for evaluating technical risks, protecting existing code, and fostering transparent communication within the community. Acquire valuable knowledge on balancing maintainer commitments and ensuring the project's longevity in the open-source ecosystem.

Intro
About me
What is project maintainership?
Sustaining your sanity
Project maintainers wear many hats
Thinking like a product manager
Working with users
Releases
Thinking like an engineering manager
Managing the team
Project scope
Case Study: Apache clouds
Dealing with forks
Thinking like a technical lead
Protecting existing code
Evaluating technical risk
Technical debt
Thinking out loud
Thinking about sustainability
Thinking about the long term
Thinking about maintainer commitments
Conclusion