Extreme Ownership of Your Career — the Open Source Way

How much time do you think Linus Torvalds spends job hunting?

Not polishing his CV. Not writing cover letters. Not DMing people asking for referrals.

Exactly. Probably zero.

Because Linus did what anyone can do, at any level: He grew so much, in the open, delivering real value to a real community — that the market couldn’t ignore him anymore.

Now ask yourself:

Are you spending 80% of your time applying… or 80% of your time growing?

If you’re stuck in the “there are no jobs for juniors” trap, or waiting for someone to give you a break — let me offer a different route:

Extreme ownership. The open source way.

🔥 1. Pick a Project That Grows You + the Ecosystem
Just one. Something that solves a real problem and is aligned with where you want to be 3–5 years from now. Start contributing. Not just code — clarity, docs, tests, community support. Let people see you care and deliver.

Don’t ask for permission. Just ship value.

🔁 2. Build in Public
Document your journey. Post wins. Post roadblocks. Post lessons.

You don’t need to be an “influencer” — you just need to be visible. That’s how your signal cuts through the noise.

🧠 3. Spend 80% of Your Time on Value Creation, Not Job Hunting
Job boards feel productive. But most of the time? They're just digital scratching — the illusion of motion.

Instead:

Go deep on one project.

Grow your network in the right circles.

Build something that matters.

Volunteer where strategy meets action — meetups, open source orgs, community tooling.

Let recruiters chase you because your work speaks louder than your inbox.

🤝 4. Ask for Referrals — the Extreme Ownership Way
Even when you ask for help — do it like an owner. Not like someone hoping to be saved. Like someone who's done the work and shows up with clarity and respect.

Here’s how:

✅ Be clear about your goal 🔗 Include a direct link to the role 📄 Share a clean, well-structured, text-based CV — optimized for the role 📬 Include your full name, email, and phone 🧠 Show that you’ve already done your research

💡 Tip: A tidy, role-focused CV isn’t just easier to refer — it signals that you already operate like someone who belongs in the role.

Because referrals aren’t charity. They’re reputation transfers. Make it easy for someone to say: “Yes. I believe in this person.”

💡 Final Thought
There’s another way forward — one that’s not about job titles, but about momentum and ownership.

You don’t have to be famous. You just need to be undeniable in your space.

And the open source path? It’s not just for maintainers and rockstars. It’s for anyone ready to trade “waiting” for “building.”

Own your growth. Grow your community. And watch how fast the right doors open.

📬 On this journey yourself? I’m happy to share what I’ve learned from building both inside enterprise and in open communities.

Let’s connect: My Linkedin