Episode 135: Tracy Hinds on Node.js's CommComm and PMs in Open Source

Guest Tracy Hinds Panelists Richard Littauer | Ben Nickolls Show
Notes Hello and welcome to Sustain! The podcast where we talk about
sustaining open source for the long haul. We are very excited with
our guest today, Tracy Hinds, who’s currently the CEO and Founder
of Crow & Pitcher and serves as a CFO and board director at the
Open Source Initiative. She’s also a long-time open source
practitioner, maker, creator, and a powerful woman of glory, and
has founded tons of different communities. Tracy is also a
non-profit leader, a career transitioner, and a forever conflict
manager. Today, we’ll learn more about Crow & Pitcher and the
Community Committee (CommComm) in the Node.js Foundation. Also,
we’ll hear Tracy’s thoughts on what she thinks the role is for
Product Managers, Program Managers, and Project Managers in open
source. Go ahead and download this episode to learn more!
[00:02:05] Tracy tells us more about her journey to becoming the
Founder of Crow & Pitcher. [00:04:25] Since Tracy was
instrumental is the Node.js community for setting up Community
Committee (CommComm), she tells us more about it. [00:09:25] Tracy
mentions how having an understanding board is essential to the
health of the organization. [00:12:51] We hear Tracy’s thoughts on
how she feels about the role for Product Managers, Program
Managers, and Project Managers in open source. [00:16:19] Ben
wonders if there was any work within CommComm to try and create
that separation and is that something Tracy thinks is more of a
challenge within open source. Tracy explains the criticism about
core contributors not being open to input. [00:19:58] We hear
Tracy’s thoughts on what she thinks is the best way to talk to
someone to let them know you want to be in a Project Manager role
or Product Management role. [00:23:56] Ben wonders what can people
do who are working in a code centric open source project, to make
themselves and their work more open and amenable to people that
come in a more product management or project management capacity?
[00:27:24] Find out the difference between a Product Manager,
Project Manager, and Program Manager. [00:30:47] Tracy tells us
where you can follow her online. Quotes [00:08:12] “Everyone gets
broken down by the amount of work and ambition in open source.”
[00:11:07] “I kind of love when things get deprecated because one,
it means people are paying attention enough to notice you don’t
need these things anymore, and it means that things are still
changing, and I think that’s an important sign in a project.”
[00:14:06] “I think it’s really interesting to think of many open
source projects as products.” [00:18:30] “Every project needs
documentation and people being compensated for documentation.”
00:20:40 (On how to get a role as PM in OSS): “It helps to clarify
a problem.” [00:21:13] “They need to build trust.” [00:25:02] “A
lot of people have open source code projects, but not open
collaboration.” [00:28:58] “You’re the goalie.” Spotlight
[00:31:42] Ben’s spotlight is making a Swamp Cooler. [00:32:12]
Richard’s spotlight is Bryan Hughes. [00:33:00] Tracy’s spotlight
is her exposure to JSConf’s bringing her to where she is today.
Links SustainOSS (https://sustainoss.org/) SustainOSS Twitter
(https://twitter.com/SustainOSS?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor)
SustainOSS Discourse (https://discourse.sustainoss.org/)
podcast@sustainoss.org (mailto:podcast@sustainoss.org) Richard
Littauer Twitter
(https://twitter.com/richlitt?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor)
Ben Nickolls Twitter
(https://twitter.com/BenJam?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor)
Tracy Hinds LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyhinds) Tracy
Hinds Twitter (https://twitter.com/hackygolucky?lang=en) Crow &
Pitcher (https://crow-and-pitcher.com/crow-%26-pitcher) Crow &
Pitcher Twitter (https://twitter.com/crowandpitcher) Node.js
Community Committee (CommComm)
(https://nodejs.org/en/about/community/) Sustain Open Source Design
Podcast (https://sosdesign.sustainoss.org/) Let’s Talk Docs Podcast
(https://ltd-podcast.sustainoss.org/) Swamp Cooler
(https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/do-swamp-coolers-work/)
Bryan Hughes Twitter (https://twitter.com/nebrius?lang=en) JSConf
(https://jsconf.com/) Credits Produced by Richard Littauer
(https://www.burntfen.com/) Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree
Sound (https://www.peachtreesound.com/) Show notes by DeAnn Bahr
Peachtree Sound (https://www.peachtreesound.com/) Special Guest:
Tracy Hinds.