Episode 231: OSCA 2023 with Velda Kiara on her Open Source Journey

Guest Velda Kiara Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes Today, host
Richard has a conversation with guest Velda Kiara, a passionate
open source developer. Velda discusses how open source has helped
businesses, how it benefits both coders and non-coders, and how it
can lead to career growth. She also talks about the challenges of
open source, particularly in terms of finances and the
sustainability of projects. The discussion also turns to Velda’s
attendance at OSCA fest in Lagos, Nigeria, and her involvement with
Black Python Devs. Velda shares her personal journey of
contributing to Django and other Python projects and tells us about
her experience joining programs like Djangonaut Space and
contributing to projects like Novu. Press download now to hear
more! [00:00:10] The episode opens with Velda highlighting the ins
and outs of open source, acknowledging that it allows for the use
of software that businesses can monetize. She appreciates the good
that comes from open source despite the criticism of some
corporations. She acknowledges the pros and cons of open source,
expressing hope that the pros will eventually outweigh the cons.
[00:02:21] Richard introduces Velda and praises her answer and asks
if she’d like to change her initial statement. Velda stands by her
answer, expressing willingness to continue the discussion for
further insights on open source. [00:03:31] Velda confirms her
attendance at OSCA fest, mentioning he talk on building APIs with
Django, DRF, and Open API, and discusses the importance of
sustainability in growing the open source community in Africa.
[00:04:34] Richard inquires about Velda’s involvement with Black
Panther Devs, and she explains the inception, its objectives, and
activities like workshops and meetups that support the community.
[00:07:12] The conversation shifts to encouraging newcomers to join
open source, emphasizing roles beyond coding, such as project
management and writing. [00:09:08] Richard and Velda discuss the
challenges designers face in open source and the potential career
benefits of contributing to open source, even for non-developers.
Velda shares how open source helped her gain experience and improve
skills, which is beneficial at any career level, and she discusses
the “level up” aspect of open source and the learning opportunities
it provides. [00:12:00] Richard explores into the sustainability of
open source for late-stage careers and the challenges maintainers
face. Velda suggests using open source for mentorship and ensuring
project continuity by engaging contributors and sharing maintenance
responsibilities. [00:14:02] What currently excites Velda about
open source? She expresses her excitement about contributing to
Django after building many websites with it and her positive
experience at DjangoCon US, which she found to be an inclusive
community. Also, she discusses Djangonaut Space, an eight-week
program designed to assist new contributors like her in
contributing to the Django framework or third-party packages.
[00:16:28] Velda mentions her contributions to other Python
projects, such as Novu, and her new experiences working with SDKs.
She reflects on the learning process in open source and shares her
excitement for exploring various Python projects and talks about
how she started a newsletter called, “The Storytellers by Tales.”
Quotes [00:12:36] “If you eventually want to not let the project
die, you could easily use open source as a way to mentor another
person who’s going to help you maintain for a while if you want to
retire or stop writing code in general.” 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) SustainOSS
Mastodon (https://mastodon.social/tags/sustainoss) Open
Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute)
(https://opencollective.com/sustainoss) Richard Littauer Socials
(https://www.burntfen.com/2023-05-30/socials) Velda Kiara X/Twitter
(https://twitter.com/VeldaKiara) Velda Kiara LinkedIn
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/veldakiara/) Velda Kiara Website
(https://veldakiara.notion.site/veldakiara/Velda-Kiara-46aec24028fd4e8dbdba003097c18b5b)
Black Python Devs (https://blackpythondevs.github.io/) KJay Miller
(https://kjaymiller.com/) Djangonaut Space
(https://djangonaut.space/) Novu (https://github.com/novuhq/novu)
Sustain Podcast-Episode 169: Dawn Wages of PSF on organizing
communities, ethical licenses, and more
(https://podcast.sustainoss.org/169) 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: Velda Kiara.