March 2024 Summaries

As authentik transitioned from an open source project with one maintainer to a business with six full-time team members across the globe, it implemented several key strategies to achieve efficiency and growth. By standardizing on computers and workflows, the company was able to create a more streamlined process for new employees and reduce the risk of technical issues. A release checklist was also established to improve the consistency and predictability of releases, allowing the team to work together more efficiently. The company also adopted "dogfooding" by implementing single sign-on (SSO) early on, which enabled smoother onboarding experiences for new team members and helped improve the product through real-world testing. When hiring senior candidates with a higher level of expertise was prioritized, it allowed the team to work independently and take initiative, while also fostering an environment where team members could share their knowledge and ideas freely. Regular one-on-one meetings were also established to facilitate open communication and collaboration. However, the company soon found that a structured approach to prioritization was needed, and introduced a sprint system using Notion to improve visibility and collaboration among team members. Finally, delegating tasks and responsibilities to team members became essential in allowing the CTO to focus on strategic growth and development of the company, rather than being a single point of failure. The transition from an open source project to a business has been a significant challenge, but by implementing these strategies, authentik was able to achieve efficiency and growth while maintaining its core values and mission.

Contributing to open source can be intimidating due to the potential for harsh criticism from maintainers, the pressure to feel skilled enough to contribute, and the fear of being judged by peers in a "gift economy" where reputation is crucial. New contributors may struggle with choosing which project to start with, given the vast number of options available. However, by following practical strategies such as researching projects, reviewing contribution guidelines, asking maintainers for guidance, making non-technical contributions, focusing on building reputation through reliability and consistency, and starting small, new contributors can overcome these fears and contribute effectively to open source projects.