Summary
This report documents the experiences and practices of open source software maintainers, focusing on their roles, challenges, and best practices. It outlines the critical importance of maintainers in the open source ecosystem, where they oversee projects that form the backbone of global technology infrastructure. The report is based on qualitative interviews with 32 super maintainers from top critical open source projects. It details how maintainers balance the demands of their roles with the need to foster new contributor engagement. Key findings include the recognition of the intrinsic rewards of open source work, such as community and camaraderie, alongside the extrinsic benefits related to career advancement. The report emphasizes the necessity of community governance, the importance of inclusive practices, and the establishment of effective onboarding processes to enhance the contributor experience. It also highlights the need for maintainers to prioritize personal engagement and to nurture potential future leaders within their projects.
