Open source
Working in Public
Nadia Eghbal
Open-source scale creates maintenance and incentive problems that code alone cannot solve.
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Highlights
The cycle looks something like this: Open source developers write and publish their code in public. They enjoy months, maybe years, in the spotlight. But, eventually, popularity offers diminishing returns. If the value of maintaining code fails to outpace the rewards, many of these developers quietly retreat to the shadows.
They’ll often promote the project just like a founder would promote a startup: by sharing it on relevant channels online, giving talks at conferences and meetups, and encouraging others to write and talk about it.