In this episode of The ReadME Podcast, hosts Neha Batra and Martin Woodward look back on their growth and learnings from the past season, from pronunciation struggles to hosting highs. Next, they share a fun story about the world's first webcam at the University of Cambridge in 1991 and its coffee-related origins. The hosts then dive into the Digital Public Goods Alliance with Ricardo Mirón Torres, who highlights the success of open-source solutions like DHIS 2 in addressing global challenges, including its role in COVID-19 tracking in Sri Lanka.

The conversation then shifts to the Laravel PHP framework with Senior Editor Klint Finley, examining its popularity, ease of use, and the vibrant community surrounding it. Klint turns the interview around on Neha and Martin and asks about their favorite moments from the season to close out the episode.

• 00:00 - Martin and Neha reflect on their experiences and growth throughout the past season of The ReadME Podcast. They announce an end-of-season hiatus but promise new content in the future.
• 01:29 - First Commit: How necessity (and a little laziness) is the mother of invention.
• 03:50 - The Interview: The hosts interview Ricardo Mirón Torres, the technical coordinator and community manager for the Digital Public Goods Alliance, a UN initiative aiming to unlock the potential of open source to create a more equitable world.
• 18:20 - Feature Release: GitHub Senior Editor Klint Finley is back to discuss Laravel and why it has become a "secret weapon" for many developers.
• 29:20 - #askRMP: The tables are turned in this edition of #askRMP, and the hosts take the hot seat to share the lessons they’ve learned this season.

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• Is Laravel the happiest developer community on the planet? By Klint Finley
• Realizing potential with AI by Anton Mirhorodchenko
• Accessibility barriers are bugs, not feature requests by Mike Gifford
• Digital Public Goods Alliance

Tell us what you want to hear more about next season! Send us an email to: [email protected] with your ideas and feedback.

And, we hope to see you at GitHub Universe 2023 November 8-9! Subscribe for updates.

Special thanks to Ricardo Mirón Torres for talking with us about the Digital Public Goods Alliance and how more people can get involved. To Mohammed Said for sharing his experience with Laravel, and to Senior Editor Klint Finley for his reporting on the Laravel community—and for turning the mic on our hosts for this episode!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and stay up to date with The ReadME Project!

Programming languages are always in flux, and so is the way we use them. In this episode, we dive into the rise of TypeScript, with The ReadME Project’s Senior Editor Mike Melanson outlining its history and evolution. Hosts Neha Batra and Martin Woodward discuss the pros and cons of static typing, and Jordan Harband from TC39 shares his views on the benefits and limitations of TypeScript. We also hear from Aaron Gustafson on AI’s potential to enhance accessibility and highlights the projects that are leading the charge. And Kingsley Mkpandiok from the CHAOSS Project, responds to an #AskRMP submission with tips on encouraging non-code contributions within open source projects.

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

• 00:00 - The hosts discuss the challenges of establishing web standards in open source communities when new technologies emerge.
• 02:38 - First Commit: The transformation of the world of stock trading from a chaotic, bustling floor to an automated and computer-driven environment. Our hosts highlight the role of open source, particularly Linux, in powering high-speed trading systems and enabling advancements in performance and speed.
• 05:40 - Feature release: The ReadME Project’s Senior Editor, Mike Melanson, discusses the rise of TypeScript and the pros and cons of statically typed languages.
• 18:24 - The interview: Aaron Gustafson joins the hosts to discuss the role of AI in improving accessibility. He highlights initiatives such as Microsoft's AI for Accessibility Grant Program, which invests in research and startups to drive innovation in accessibility.
• 36:10 - AskRMP: Kingsley Mkpandiok answers a listener’s question on encouraging non-code contributions. The key? Communicate that everyone’s skills matter.

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• TypeScript and the dawn of gradual types by Mike Melanson
• Advancing inclusion with progressive enhancement by Aaron Gustafson
• From fixing computers on farms to democratizing DevOps by Kyler Middleton
• Turbulent times call for adaptive leadership by Tramale Turner
• Make your first open source contribution in four easy steps by Ruth Ikegah

Special thanks to Jordan Harband for sharing his insights on TypeScript, Aaron Gustafson for outlining the role that AI will play in accelerating accessibility, and Kingsley Mkpandiok for answering a listener question about encouraging non-code contributions.  

Check-out The ReadME Project, for more episodes as well as featured articles, developer stories, helpful guides, and much more! Send your feedback, questions, and ideas to [email protected].

The influence of open source extends well beyond code. In this episode, we dive into the less-explored areas of the open source community, spotlighting their profound and wide-ranging impact. With host Neha Batra away for travel, Martin Woodward welcomes Kyler Middleton to discuss navigating the open source community in a highly regulated environment. She highlights the dual challenges of aligning cultural norms and overcoming technical barriers. Also, The ReadME Project’s Klint Finley is back to discuss the underappreciated importance of non-code contributions to open source projects. He emphasizes how roles such as marketers, graphic designers, technical writers, and community managers can be vital for the success of a project. Lastly, we feature a clip from our bonus episode with Kelsey Hightower highlighting the complexity of scaling a project like Kubernetes, which extends beyond technical challenges to include legal, financial, and community-related aspects.

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

• 00:00 - The hosts discuss the far-reaching impacts of open source and outline the symbiotic relationship between non-code contributions and OSS in everyday life. 
• 03:02 - First Commit: How FarmBot is bringing automation to home gardening. Martin highlights how the open source community is putting a high-tech spin on backyard cultivation.
• 05:05 - The Interview: Kyler Middleton joins Martin to discuss everything from securing cloud applications to growing up on a farm.
• 23:45 - #AskRMP: Kelsey Hightower on managing open source projects at scale and the learnings that can be applied to projects of any size.
• 27:42 - Feature Release: The ReadME Project senior editor, Klint Finley, is back to discuss non-code contributions and why developers should prioritize supporting their creation and management.

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• Non-code contributions are the secret to open source success by Klint Finley
• Finish your projects by Aaron Francis
• Do your part to secure the open source supply chain by Feross Aboukhadijeh
• From chaos to clarity: Use code visibility to illuminate unfamiliar code by Shanea Leven

Special thanks to Kyler Middleton for sharing her security and community insights, Kelsey Hightower for discussing open source at scale, and Sarah Rainsberger for highlighting the benefits of non-code contributions to open source success. 

Check-out The ReadME Project, for more episodes as well as featured articles, developer stories, helpful guides, and much more! Send your feedback, questions, and ideas to [email protected]. 

In this bonus episode, we hear from Kubernetes superstar Kelsey Hightower. Diving into crucial elements like empathy in maintainership, succession planning, and the identification of future leaders, hosts Martin Woodward and Neha Batra explore Kelsey’s philosophy on fostering thriving open source communities—and his hopes for the future state of Kubernetes. Dedicated to GitHub’s Maintainer Month, the conversation focuses on the people behind the projects, highlighting their extraordinary effort and celebrating their impact on the community. To close out this special episode, members of The ReadME Podcast community thank maintainers who have had a positive impact on them.

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

• 00:00 - Introduction: The hosts discuss GitHub May-ntainer Month and introduce Kelsey Hightower!
• 1:07 - The interview: Kelsey talks the hosts through how he got into tech, how maintainers can avoid burnout, the importance of identifying new leaders, what the future holds for Kubernetes and much much more!
• 32:55 - Maintainer shout-out!  ​​Aaron Francis, Cassidy Williams, Frances Coronel, Anthony Sottile, Peter Strömberg, and Brandon Ringe call in to  share their appreciation for fellow maintainers in their lives.

Special thanks to our guest, Kelsey Hightower, and to all of the maintainers who called in to share appreciation for their fellow maintainers. 

Check-out The ReadME Project, for more episodes as well as featured articles, developer stories, helpful guides, and much more! Send your feedback, questions, and ideas to [email protected].

This month, we consider the evolution of openness in open source. The ReadME Project’s Senior Editor, Mike Melanson joins hosts Martin and Neha to discuss expert advice on why “closed to contributions” sometimes makes sense and how that model aligns with open source expectations. Additionally, maintainer, founder, and CEO of Scarf Avi Press highlights the benefit of analytics to maintainers and the open source community, and discusses the metrics that matter most. Also, Jessica Januik, Senior Software Engineer at Google, answers a listener question and shares insight into why humor is paramount when building team chemistry.

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

• 00:00 - The hosts examine what’s new in open source, highlighting new communities like Mastodon and Bluesky.
• 01:37 - First Commit: Open source saves the day! From climate change to nuclear radiation, open source is empowering communities to adapt to catastrophe.
• 05:48 - Feature Release: The ReadME Project’s Mike Melanson welcomes Ben Johnson to share key considerations when deciding how to approach project contributions.
• 20:00 - The Interview: Avi Press, maintainer, founder, and CEO of Scarf, shares his perspective on how the open source community, and maintainers in specific, can benefit from improved community analytics.
• 34:00 - #AskRMP: Jessica Januik highlights why humor is so important when building a team or community.

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• How ‘open’ should your open source be? by Mike Melanson
• Formatters, linters, and compilers: Oh my! by Josh Goldberg
• Harness the power of generative AI for software development by Anton Mirgorodchenko
• GitHub’s Maintainer Month calendar
• Sustain Podcast Maintainer Month series

Special thanks to Avi Press for detailing community analytics for maintainers, Jessica Januik for sharing insight into building team chemistry, and Ben Johnson for walking us through his decision to limit contributions to Litestream.

Check-out The ReadME Project, for more episodes as well as featured articles, developer stories, helpful guides, and much more! Send your feedback, questions, and ideas to [email protected]. 

This month we’re exploring quantum leaps in technology—then, now, and what devs can do today to prepare for tomorrow. The hosts welcome Klint Finley, Senior Editor of The ReadME Project, to discuss the role that open source played in a recent nuclear fusion breakthrough. Additionally, we speak with Jerome Hardaway, Executive Director of Vets Who Code, who shares practical advice on fortifying your career against unforeseen forces. And for those just getting started, Kedasha Kerr joins us to answer a listener question and provide tips to get going with Git and GitHub.

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

• 00:00 - The hosts discuss technological change and how developers can adjust.
• 01:37 - First Commit: How transatlantic telegraph lines were placed between the U.S. and Britain.
• 05:48 - Feature Release: The ReadME Project’s Klint Finley welcomes J. Luc Peterson of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to discuss the role open source played in a recent fusion breakthrough.
• 20:00 - The Interview: Jerome Hardaway, Executive Director of Vets Who Code, shares the advice he gives his troops on how to fortify your career against shifts in the job market. Check out more from Jerome in his new Guide on GitHub.com/ReadME where he shares practical advice on moving from junior to senior engineering roles.
• 34:00 - #AskRMP: GitHub’s Kedasha Kerr answers a listener question about getting started with GitHub. Her practical advice goes beyond version control and helps users get the most out of the platform.

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• Open source is fueling the future of nuclear physics by Klint Finley
• Twitch: A game changer for developers by Dr. Johanna Pirker
• Simplifying developer onboarding with a few clicks by Art Chaidarun of Duolingo
• Junior to senior: An action plan for engineering career success by Jerome Hardaway

Special thanks to Kedasha Kerr for sharing her thoughts on getting started with Git and GitHub. Also, thank you to J. Luc Peterson for providing insight on open source’s role in developing nuclear fusion technology.

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

• 00:00 - The hosts hear from Ed Summers, GitHub’s head of accessibility, about the meaning of disability and accessibility and why it's important to involve everyone in building technology. 
• 10:43 - The panel: Annalu Waller, Becky Tyler, and Kirsty McNaught join the hosts to discuss how they started working together, why inclusion in development is so important to producing the best outcomes for everyone, and what AI means for the future of accessibility. 
• 32:55 - Release notes: The ReadME Project Senior Editor Mike Melanson discusses his article diving deeper into how open source is expanding accessibility development.

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• Featured Article & Video: From gaming with your eyes to coding with AI: New frontiers for accessibility by Mike Melanson
• Video: The ReadME Podcast’s accessibility conversation with Annalu, Becky, and Kirsty
• Kristy McNaught’s GitHub Sponsors page and open source project, EyeMine
• The unique origins of open source in machine learning by Mikio Braun
• Check out Ed Summer’s keynote at axe-con

Special thanks to Annalu Waller, Becky Tyler, and Kirsty McNaught for being a part of this conversation. Also, thank you to Ed Summers for setting the stage, sharing his story, and highlighting why accessible technology benefits everyone. 

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

• 00:00 - The hosts discuss how to impress and win over the heart of a developer in your life. 
• 02:30 - First Commit: How India built the PARAM 8000 supercomputer. 
• 06:07 - The Interview: Peter Strömberg and Brandon Ringe, the co-maintainers of Calva, discuss the benefits of sharing responsibility for open source maintainership. 
• 18:18 - #AskRMP: We learn from Jana Iris about best practices for community building from scratch. 
• 21:15 - Feature Release: The ReadME Project’s Klint Finley shares what we can learn from vintage computing.

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• Building super fans through genuine human connections by Jana Iris
• Agical, Peter Strömberg’s employer and open source sponsor.
• The modern web’s underrated powerhouse by Klint Finley
• Enterprise code migration with developer happiness in mind by Prince Shekhar Valluri (LinkedIn)
• Move past incident response to reliability by Will Larson

Special thanks to Jana Iris for sharing her thoughts on getting started with OSS community building. Also, thank you to Peter Strömberg and Brandon Ringe, co-maintainers of Calva, for providing their insight on collaborative maintainership and how building together can benefit the community.

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

00:00 - Martin and Neha share how they spent the holiday break and discuss New Year's resolutions. 

02:25 - First Commit: The story of TIME magazine naming the computer “Machine of the Year.”

06:10 - Feature Release: The ReadME Project’s Mike Melanson shares how maximalism in development has crept into places where it doesn’t belong.

18:15 - #AskRMP: Frances Coronel joins the podcast to answer a listener question about how someone getting started in open source can find their first mentor. 

20:20 - The Interview: bashbunni joins the hosts to discuss how she balances a servant leadership mentality with learning in public—all for the benefit of the community of developers around her.

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• What’s in a name? Moving GitOps beyond buzzword by Mike Melanson
• Middleware for web applications: it’s not just for enterprises by Amit Saha
• Marie Kondo your software stack with open source by Mike Melanson
• Great leaders create more leaders by Frances Coronel
• bashbunni on Twitch
• TIME magazine’s “Machine of the Year”

Special thanks to Frances Coronel for sharing her thoughts on finding mentors in open source, bashbunni for highlighting why giving back is the best way to build community, and Carson Gross for offering their perspective on why minimalism in development helps keep things moving.

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

00:00 - The hosts discuss GitHub Universe and highlight some of their favorite sessions.

02:30 - First Commit: Neha and Martin discuss the US presidential election of November 1952, which was the first time that a computer was used to predict winners.

05:55 - Features Story: The ReadME Project Sr. Editor, Klint Finley, joins to discuss his recent story Building the future of the command line.

18:30 - #AskRMP - Friend of the podcast and GitHub Senior Software Engineering Manager, Helen Hou-Sandi, joins to answer this month’s listener submitted question.

22:15 - The Interview: Appsmith Co-Founder and CTO, Arpit Mohan, joins us to discuss the myth of the lone hacker and what it takes to manage an open source business.

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• Building the future of the command line by Klint Finley
• Marie Kondo your software stack with open source by Mike Melanson
• Look beyond lock-in with open source observability by Michael Hausenblas
• Documenting knowledge: a guide to successful note-taking by Cassidy Williams

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

• 00:00 - Intro: The hosts discuss AI image generators and draw parallels with GitHub’s pair programmer: Copilot. 
• 03:34 - First Commit: Neha and Martin discuss ARPANET’s 1980 crash, the first known network-wide crash. 
• 6:16 - Feature Story: The ReadME Project Sr. Editor Mike Melanson discusses his recent article: Don’t call it a comeback: Why Java is still champ.
• 21:52 - #AskRMP - Xavier René-Corail provides his insights on best practices for securing open source projects. 
• 26:14 - The Interview: GitHub CEO, Thomas Dohmke, discusses how his career as a developer enabled him to understand the challenges that businesses face.

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• Don’t call it a comeback: Why Java is still champ by Mike Melanson
• Open source gaming by Klint Finley
• Developer Story: (Virtual) reality check by Johanna Pirker
• GitHub Blog: Research: quantifying GitHub Copilot’s impact on developer productivity and happiness
• Attend GitHub Universe—virtually or in person!
• Game Off 2022 

Special thanks to guest experts Christina Lee for her perspective on Java and Kotlin, Xavier René-Corail, for his expertise and answering our #askRMP question this month, and to GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke for sharing his story and passion for developer happiness. 

Here’s what’s in store for this episode:

• 00:00 - Meet our newest co-host, and learn about The ReadME Podcast’s new format.  
• 01:40 - First Commit: Neha and Martin explore “Eternal September.” 
• 03:54 - Features Story: RMP Sr. Editor, Klint Finley, joins to discuss his recent story Functional programming is finally going mainstream.
• 18:17 - #AskRMP - Open Source expert and former RMPod host, Brian Douglas, joins to answer this month’s listener submitted question.
• 21:32 - The Interview: Special guest Aaron Francis shares his advice on publishing your work to build your own luck. 

Looking for more stories and advice from the open source community? To learn more from the authors and experts featured on this episode, check out:

• Functional programming is finally going mainstream by Klint Finley
• Publishing your work increases your luck by Aaron Francis
• Bdougie's new project: OpenSauced
• Functional Programming 101 by Cassidy Williams
• The five-minute feedback fix by Hillel Wayne
• ONWARD: A framework for maintaining maintainers by Frances Coronel

Special thanks to Cassidy Williams for lending her perspective on functional programming, @bdougieYO for his expertise and answering our #askRMP question this month, and to Aaron Francis for sharing his insights on overcoming your fears and publishing your work.

The ReadME Podcast is your portal into the open source community. We'll introduce you to the people building the projects you use every day, answer your questions about tech, and guide you through the ever-changing open source landscape. We take deep dives into the trends shaping the future of technology, the culture and craft of software development, look back at the milestones that made open source what it is today, and learn from community experts. No matter where you are in your developer journey, there’s something here for you.

Check out more episodes, stories, and guides at The ReadME Project.

For the final ReadME Podcast episode of Season 2 our hosts Brian and Neha turn the spotlight around and interview each other. The conversation covers everything from Nintendos at Christmas and university computer hand-me-downs to Encarta, Ask Jeeves, and Netscape. They also dive down the rabbit hole of their tech journeys—starting from the beginning. Learn how they got into open source and who gave them the nudges they needed to really find their stride. They also share their approaches to imposter syndrome, what keyboard shortcuts they love, and whether they prefer coffee or tea. There’s a little serendipity, a lot of OSS love, and a few surprises along the way.

Check out The ReadME Project for more episodes, stories and features: https://github.com/readmeign-up

And sign-up for our monthly newsletter: https://github.com/readme/#newsletter

As a school director, Quincy dabbled with code to automate some of his colleagues’ more administrative tasks—and it changed everything. Computers tackled the tedious work, and teachers could focus on teaching. This led Quincy to pursue programming more seriously, but his transition to work as a software engineer was a bit rocky. Inspired to find a better way, he merged his love of education with coding to create FreeCodeCamp in 2014. Quincy opens up about his life pre-programming, the lightbulb moment behind FreeCodeCamp, and why it’s important that it stays accessible.

Quincy on GitHub: https://github.com/QuincyLarson

Check out FreeCodeCamp: https://www.freeCodeCamp.org

Be sure to check-out The ReadME Project for more episodes, stories and features: https://github.com/readme and sign-up for our monthly newsletter: https://github.com/readme/#newsletter

Jani Eväkallio discovered programming when he was stuck inside with a broken leg as a teenager. He fell in and out of programming afterwards and took an OSS hiatus at 16. He has since dove back in and maintained countless projects over the years—but quickly recognized his own limitations and didn’t hesitate to hand over the reins to those looking for the responsibility. Jani discusses his relationship with open source, why he turned down millions of dollars for FOAM, and where he’s currently channeling his creativity.

Jani on GitHub: https://github.com/jevakallio

Jani on the web: https://jevakallio.dev/

Be sure to check-out The ReadME Project for more episodes, stories and features: https://github.com/readme and sign-up for our monthly newsletter: https://github.com/readme/#newsletter

Salma Alam-Naylor, aka White Panther, discovered programming at a young age but focused on music and comedy into her twenties. Though her path to developing wasn’t obvious or linear, she wouldn’t change it for anything. Today, she’s a positive force in open source, making an impact on Twitch, Discord, and via her vocal commitment to accessibility and inclusivity in tech. In our conversation, she shares her journey to open source, where music and code meet, and how becoming a parent changed her perspective on the future of work.

Salma on GitHub: https://github.com/whitep4nth3r

Salma on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/whitep4nth3r

Salma on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/theclaw

Be sure to check-out The ReadME Project for more episodes, stories and features https://github.com/readme, and sign-up for our monthly newsletter: https://github.com/readme/#newsletter

Liyas Thomas is the founder of Hoppscotch, an open source API development ecosystem that’s seen exponential growth. Encouraged by his own mentors, Liyas now maintains Hoppscotch full time. Whether he’s programming or pursuing his passion for art, he always puts beauty at the core of his work. During this conversation, he shares his path to Hoppscotch, the importance of community, and a preview of his newest endeavor: a book.

Liyas on GitHub: https://github.com/liyasthomas

Liyas' website: https://liyasthomas.com/

Be sure to check-out The ReadME Project for more episodes, stories and features: https://github.com/readme

Fred Schott’s love for programming started early, and he worked hard during his 20s at companies like Box and Google. As his own side projects experienced open source success, Fred took the plunge in 2021 and started Astro, a JavaScript-based static site builder full time. In this conversation, he speaks about his introduction to open source, his path to Astro, and the role luck plays in success.

Fred on GitHub: https://github.com/fredkschott

Astro on the web: https://astro.build/blog/introducing-astro/

Be sure to check-out The ReadME Project for more episodes, stories and features: https://github.com/readme

While earning her Master’s degree in Piano, Helen Hou-Sandí worked in the computer lab, where her skills caught the attention of her music conservatory. Implored to make a website, she discovered the instant gratification of WordPress and was hooked. A decade later, she’s a leading WordPress developer who’s passionate about open source. Helen shares her journey from pianist to programmer, how the disciplines inform each other, and the ways in which she hopes to make WordPress relevant to a new generation of developers.

Helen's blog: https://helen.blog/

Helen on GitHub: https://github.com/helen

Be sure to check out The ReadME Project for more episodes, stories and features: https://github.com/readme

Anthony Sottile started college as a biochemistry major, but pivoted to programming two years in. After his first coding class, the school was so impressed they invited Anthony to teach the following semester. He loved helping others realize the potential of programming, which eventually led him to Twitch, where he codes, shares stories, and builds community in real time. Hear more about his journey, and why he thinks better communication is essential for open source.

Anthony on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/codewithanthony

Anthony on GitHub: https://github.com/asottile

Be sure to check out The ReadME Project for more episodes, stories and features: https://github.com/readme

Season 2 of The ReadME Podcast is on the way with our hosts Brian Douglas and Neha Batra! New episodes will be dropping every Tuesday starting October 26th...

Segun Adebayo’s approach to computers and technology is driven by a belief that how we communicate is just as important as what we communicate. With this in mind, he created Chakra UI, a modular and accessible React library that has a quarter million downloads a month. Originally from Nigeria and now based in Dubai, Segun sat down with us to share his open source origin story, his passion for design, and what the future holds for both himself and Chakra UI, now on The ReadME Podcast.

Based in Lagos, Nigeria, Ada Nduka Oyom initially studied microbiology at university, but quickly fell in love with programming. Witnessing the huge disparity of women to men in technology, she started She Code Africa so women could learn to code and be properly recognized for their work. In this episode, Ada shares her inspiration for She Code Africa, what she’s learned during her journey to becoming a global thought leader, and what she hopes to pass on to the next generation of female developers, now on The ReadME Podcast.

While procrastinating at MIT in 2005, Limor Fried built her own MP3 player and shared it online, immediately inspiring others to create their own hardware. What started as a small side hustle on PayPal is now Adafruit, a wildly successful business with 100 employees and a 50,000 square-foot factory in New York. Limor, otherwise known as “Ladyada,” empowers users with the tools they need to bring their ideas to life, from mini arcade games to light-up cosplay accessories to humidity-detecting clocks. She shares her journey to Adafruit, how open source plays into the business, and why electronics engineering should be taught from the top down, now on The ReadME Podcast.

Rachel Nabors grew up in rural Virginia and knew that if they could just get a laptop and the internet, they could bring the world to them. Currently balancing documentation, demos, and community engagement on Facebook’s React Core team, it’s safe to say Rachel was right. An illustrator, developer, author, speaker, and teacher, Rachel shares how they discovered programming via Sailor Moon, what open source and the React Core team means to them, and what’s next, now on The ReadME Podcast.

Almost 25 years ago, in 1997, Daniel Stenburg created cURL, a command line tool for transferring data. The name stands for “client URL,” works on any platform, and is used in billions of installations. Despite maintaining cURL for a quarter of a century, Daniel couldn’t be happier where he is, and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. We recently sat down with him to hear how he first discovered open source, why he wants to lower the barrier of entry for newcomers, and how he sees cURL evolving in the future, now on The ReadME Podcast.

In this episode, we talk with Henry Zhu, full-time maintainer of Babel, the Javascript compiler. We’ll discover how Henry first got into programming, and what convinced him to leave a stable job at Adobe to take the leap into open source. Henry digs into the challenges and rewards of building a community, and how he finds balance. Hear it all straight from Henry, now on The ReadME Podcast.

While working on his master’s thesis for web applications, Tobias Koppers created an optimizer out of necessity, which he called webpack. His thesis complete, Tobias realized how fun it was to iterate with users and bring code splitting and bundling to the masses. Driven by the continuous innovation of the open source community, a few choice partners (like Sean Larkin) and Open Collective sponsorships, Tobias was able to become a full-time maintainer—and webpack is now used by millions of developers around the world. Tobias shares his story and why he recently took a new role at Vercel, now on The ReadME Podcast.

Originally from the Netherlands and now based in California, Paulus Schoutsen has always been fascinated by data, and how it could be used to optimize people’s lives. Seven years ago, he open sourced a simple way to remotely turn his house lights on at sunset. Today, Home Assistant has grown to an entire home automation framework with a worldwide community. Hear Paulus share his path to programming, including his early experiments and a deep-rooted love for open source, now on The ReadME Podcast.

When Mariatta Wijaya arrived in Canada from Indonesia, she got a job as a software developer, and the first language she learned was Python. Now a Python core developer, she creates GitHub bots that are not just functional, but friendly. She’s also the co-organizer of Vancouver PyLadies and the PyCascades conference, was nominated twice for the Google Open Source Peer Bonus Program, and has received the Python Software Foundation (PSF) community service award. Hear how it all unfolded on Mariatta’s episode, available now.

When she was young, Gina Häußge’s dad showed her how to make her first computer commands, and she was hooked on watching code come to life. Fast forward to 2012, when she got her first 3D printer, which she loved. What she didn’t love were the noises and fumes it spat out during prints. So she put it in the spare bathroom, built a monitor that she could control from her office, and open sourced it on GitHub. Octoprint exploded in popularity, and Gina quickly learned there was much more to being a maintainer than writing code. Hear how she figured it all out, and what she’s doing now, on The ReadME Podcast.

In this episode, we sit down with Scott Hanselman and Mark Downie, maintainers of Das Blog. Developed in the C# programming language, Das Blog is a robust blogging application that supports languages across the globe and doesn’t require a database. Scott and Mark share how they met, and how they’re ushering 20 years of code into the future. We’ll dig into their partnership, the responsibility of taking over heritage code, and the value of blogging. Hear it all, now on The ReadME Podcast.

Evan You came to the U.S. from China when he was 18, and ended up at Parsons for a Master’s of Fine Arts in design and coding. He landed his dream job at Google Creative Lab, where he would become drawn to his side project, which would become what we now know as Vue. The core library has since evolved into an entire ecosystem and progressive framework that anyone can incrementally adopt. It’s seen organic and exponential growth, and in 2020, its users doubled. Hear from Evan what sparked the idea for Vue, how he turned his passion into the Vue ecosystem, and what advice he has for maintainers, now on The ReadME Podcast.

On The ReadME Podcast, we take a look behind the scenes of the most impactful open source projects and the developers who make them happen. Our guests are coding in public, creating firmware, designing hardware, researching security vulnerabilities, creating art and music, and making phenomenal scientific discoveries. They’re also working on the periphery of open source, taking time to consider how we think about technology. In sharing these stories, we hope to provide a spotlight on what you don’t always see in the lines of code, and what it takes to build the technology that inspires us all.