The Beginner’s Guide to Open Source, Part 4: How to Start and Grow an Open Source Project
Blog post from New Relic
The final installment of a four-part series on starting open source projects emphasizes the growing importance of open source in the developer community and provides five key tips for launching successful projects. An active GitHub or GitLab portfolio is valuable for job applications and community engagement, and starting an open source project offers a rewarding learning curve beyond contributing to existing ones. Key strategies include creating a comprehensive README file, maintaining detailed documentation, tracking issues publicly, providing a contributor guide, and identifying beginner-friendly issues to attract new contributors. Building a community around an open source project requires effort and outreach, utilizing platforms like community sites, newsletters, and forums to gain visibility. The article also highlights the author Vi Tran's role at New Relic and clarifies that the views expressed are personal and not necessarily reflective of New Relic's commercial solutions or support.