The Unexpected Power of 100 Days in Open Source

In theory, I'm not sure that open source should work. Think about it: Companies usually keep their best ideas secret. But in open source, everyone shares their code openly. You'd expect most people to just use the free software without giving anything back. Not to mention trying to organize thousands of volunteers from all over the world to build something complex. But despite all these reasons why it shouldn't work, open source not only survives – it thrives. It's powering a huge part of the technology we use every day. But for many people, the idea of actually contributing to open source still feels pretty scary. Why? And more importantly, how can we change that?

Let's start with a personal story. When I first thought of contributing to an open source project, I was afraid. The fear of making a mistake in front of the entire internet was overwhelming. Sound familiar? If so, you're not alone. Research shows that this fear of public failure is a significant barrier to open source participation.

But here's the interesting part: studies also show that the most effective way to overcome this fear is through community support. When we're part of a group, our fear of failure decreases, and our willingness to take risks increases. This is where the magic happens.

#100DaysOfOSS Challenge

Our #100DaysOfOSS Challenge, isn't about coding for 100 days. It's about leveraging the power of community to transform hesitation into action.

Here's why I think this approach works:

1. Structured Progress: The challenge provides a clear pathway, breaking down contributing to open source into manageable weekly tasks.

2. Community Support: By connecting participants, the challenge creates a supportive peer group. This not only can reduce anxiety but also increase accountability and motivation.

3. Learning by Doing: The challenge emphasizes practical contributions, aligning with the principles of experiential learning - you don't have to know how to code to contribute.

4. Flexibility: Participants can tailor the challenge to their interests, which research shows increases intrinsic motivation and long-term engagement.

This year, we have support from GitHub Education to enhance the challenge and we're introducing weekly structured posts and increased community engagement opportunities. It's an experiment in scaling the benefits of community-supported learning.

So, here's my call to action: If you've ever been curious about open source but hesitated to jump in, join us for #100DaysOfOSS with your intro today - we already have over 100 people!

If you'd like to start exploring, check out my Beginner Friendly Workspace and let me know what repositories should add!

P.S. If you're participating, you can also sign up for the OpenSauced newsletter for biweekly updates on Open Source topics to help you along your journey.