Open Source Leadership Summit 2017

Open source projects can be extremely rewarding for both companies and participating employees, but there are associated costs that may not be immediately obvious. Engaging in public outreach, fielding community support requests at all hours, and responding to feedback and criticism are just a few examples of things that can consume maintainers and negatively affect their productivity and morale. For those on the front lines of open source maintenance, it is often more than just a day job and these associated extra hours can lead to burnout. In this talk we will examine the true cost of open source so that companies can take steps to mitigate those costs and balance their needs against the demands of open source while also encouraging a good work/life balance of its developers to ensure long-term open source program success.