Open Source Summit North America 2017

Getting started in open source communities can be daunting, which can lead to people (and companies) over-compensating to try to prove their inherent value to a project. This talk applies lessons in space travel from Col. Chris Hadfield, Canadian astronaut and former International Space Station commander, to getting started in open source, specifically, his ‘Aim to Be a Zero’ philosophy.

In this talk, Guy Martin will share the details of this philosophy, his experience with it, and its application to successful open source participation, particularly important as contributions from corporations grow. By applying these ideas as a basis for their successful participation in open source communities, companies can avoid the mistake of being too heavy-handed in an effort to prove their worth, and instead, grow their participation from a foundation of competence.