Starting an open-source project is easy. Keeping it alive? That’s where things get tricky. How do you attract contributors? How do you handle governance? What keeps a project from fading away?

This session will break down real-world strategies for building, growing, and sustaining open-source projects. Whether you’re a new maintainer, an experienced contributor, or part of a company looking to engage in open source, you’ll walk away with actionable insights to help your project thrive for years to come.

Key Takeaways:
🔹 Kickstarting Growth – Getting early adopters and contributors onboard.
🔹 Effective Community Management – Onboarding, engaging, and rewarding contributors.
🔹 Project Governance Models – Balancing leadership with community-driven development.
🔹 Monetization & Sustainability – Funding options like sponsorships, grants, and open-core models.
🔹 Avoiding Maintainer Burnout – Scaling responsibilities and delegating effectively.
🔹 How Companies Can Support Open Source – Engaging with open source the right way.

Why This Talk?
Having launched and scaled open-source initiatives, I’ve seen both the challenges and the success stories of sustaining projects over time. As the founder of Social Winter of Code (SWOC) and a speaker at Google DevFests, IITs, and universities, I’ve worked closely with open-source maintainers, contributors, and organizations to build sustainable ecosystems.

If you’re running (or thinking of starting) an open-source project and want to make sure it doesn’t just start—but thrives, this session is for you. Let’s build better, stronger, and more sustainable open-source communities together!