I had the privilege of speaking at the Daytona event on Saturday, October 12th, 2024, and it was all shades of amazing. Each talk was crafted to address a specific concern and kept the audience engaged, with a strong focus on open source and how to contribute meaningfully.
Let’s Talk Daytona
First off, let’s talk about Daytona itself. It's a self-hosted, secure open-source tool that helps developers streamline and manage their development environments. By centralizing dependencies and configurations, it ensures consistency, reproducibility, and easy maintenance across projects. You can learn more about Daytona here.
Favorite Talks
Two talks that stood out to me were from Anita ihuman and Ivan Burazin.
Anita Ihuman’s session, “Transitioning into Leadership: From Contributor to Maintainer/Manager in Open Source”, was a real eye-opener. She broke down how contributors can grow into leadership roles, offering practical advice on getting involved in open-source communities while advancing up the ladder. It was an inspiring roadmap for anyone looking to be involved in open source.
Then came Ivan Burazin’s talk, “Contributing to Open Source Can Change Your Life.” For me, it was a wake-up call. He emphasized how open-source contributions can be the game-changer you didn’t know you needed. Ivan highlighted how beginners can leverage both human and technical resources in open source to unlock new opportunities. It was motivational and packed with actionable insights.
My Talk
My own talk was originally titled “Approaching Your First Go Project,” but after chatting with several participants beforehand, I decided to switch things up a bit. I tweaked it to “Approaching Your First Project, Using Go as a Template” to give it a broader appeal. I used physical examples—like bringing a lady up on stage for a fun “rizz-up” analogy (yes, it was a hit😎)—to drive home my points, blending humor and real-life experiences.
The goal was to show attendees how I approached my first project, and how I’ve tackled every project since. It was interactive, filled with witty banter, and definitely a hit—I even got over half a dozen questions afterward! One participant humorously compared it to “Eminem performing last so he doesn’t outshine others,” which was a wild compliment. Overall, the audience left with a clearer vision of how to approach their projects, whether it was their first of many or their fiftieth.
Why Open Source Matters
One of my key takeaways from the event was that open source goes beyond just technical contributions. It’s also about speaking, organizing, and being part of the larger ecosystem. This is something I plan to focus on even more in the coming year, expanding my involvement not just in coding but in community-building and outreach.
Shoutout to Daytona
A huge thanks to Daytona for the platform and for fostering such a vibrant open-source community. They’re also participating in Hacktoberfest, so be sure to check that out here.
This event left me inspired to keep contributing to open source in bigger ways, and I can’t wait to see what’s next. Stay tuned—there’s more to come, and I’m excited for what the future holds!
Finally more pictures📸
