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World Congress 2023 • Aug 11, 2023

Can you build a career in open source?

Stormy Peters

Open source powers 90% of software, but can its developers actually make a living? Discover how emerging funding models are finally making sustainable open source careers a reality.

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#1 about 2 min

Balancing open source contributions with sustainable careers

How fair compensation for open source contributions enables developers to build sustainable careers without sacrificing passion.

#2 about 6 min

The global impact of open source software development

How passionate developers collaborate to solve global problems and create foundational software infrastructure.

#3 about 4 min

Exploring business models for open source software projects

How developers can utilize acquisitions, enterprise support contracts, and consortiums to build sustainable businesses.

#4 about 7 min

Funding open source through GitHub Accelerator and Sponsors

How programs like GitHub Accelerator and GitHub Sponsors provide vital financial support and mentorship to maintainers.

#5 about 7 min

Increasing enterprise awareness of critical open source dependencies

How tracking enterprise open source usage allows companies to appropriately fund the critical software they rely on.

#6 about 3 min

Expanding open source participation through cloud developer environments

How leveraging remote development tools and AI accelerates project onboarding and enables global contributor access.

#7 about 3 min

Creating global impact through professional persistence and collaboration

How consistently pitching ideas and engaging with the developer community transforms unconventional concepts into massive educational initiatives.

#8 about 4 min

Audience questions and concluding announcements for the developer conference

How audience inquiries outline future monetization possibilities before final event announcements wrap up the day.

Matching moments

5:01 min

Fueling major tech companies and the open source ecosystem

David Heinemeier Hansson David Heinemeier Hansson +1 · Coffee With Developers

3:57 min

Solving maintainer burnout through corporate open source pledges

Scott Chacon Scott Chacon · World Congress 2024

2:29 min

Developing core open-source projects in scaling consulting environments

Aleksandra Desmurs-Linczewska · LIVE

2:49 min

Fostering active external contributions in open source

Matti Nannt · Coffee With Developers

5:15 min

Advancing sustainable tech careers through open source communities

Lorenzo Pieri · LIVE

3:12 min

Scaling open source impact through community acceleration and infrastructure

Demetris Cheatham Demetris Cheatham +1 · World Congress 2024

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Upcoming sessions on this topic

Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

September 25, 2026 · 13:30–14:00

Stage 3

Lessons from 20 Years of Bootstrapping an Open Source Business to $50M+

Peter Farkas

Percona, Founder

Peter Farkas
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

September 23, 2026 · 15:00–15:30

Stage 2

How GitHub Helps Two Maintainers Serve 6,000 Learners

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Senior Cloud Advocate at GitHub

Gwyneth Peña-Siguenza
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

September 25, 2026 · 13:30–14:00

Stage 9

On the Public Clock: Open-Source Defense When You're Not in the Club

Nicholas Muy

VP Engineering Platform and Security at Scrut.io

Nicholas Muy
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

September 24, 2026 · 16:10–16:40

Outdoor Stage

When Humans Stop Writing Code: Rethinking Languages, Compilers, and Responsibility

Simon Auer

Organizer of flutter vienna meetup and CEO of marqably

Simon Auer
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

September 24, 2026 · 15:30–16:00

Stage 6

Going beyond the code through the GitHub Copilot App: how to unlock you and your team’s superpower

Jenny Hwang

Director of User Research at GitHub

Jenny Hwang
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

September 24, 2026 · 12:15–12:45

Stage 6

AI vs. AI: Defending the open source supply chain with agentic workflows

Manfred Moser

Senior Principal DevRel Engineer at Chainguard

Manfred Moser

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