Building 2 Iconic OSSs Back-to-Back | Maxime Beauchemin (Airflow, Preset)

Max is the creator of Apache Airflow, Apache Superset and the founder of Preset.

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If you’ve worked on data problems, you probably have heard of Airflow and Superset, two powerful tools that have cemented their place in the data ecosystem. Building successful open source softwares is no easy feat, and even fewer engineers have done this back to back. In part 2 of the conversation, we talk about Max’s journey in open source.

Highlights

#1 The most undervalued skill for software engineering: code orientation

When it comes to being a successful open source contributor, one crucial skill often goes undervalued: code orientation. This refers to the ability to find your way around a large, complex codebase, identifying where to make changes and how to decipher existing code.

Imagine joining a company like Facebook, where you're faced with massive mono-repos and thousands of microservices. Without code orientation, you'd be lost. Max likens this skill to being able to find your way around a new village or country, where patterns learned in one project can be transposed to others.

#2 What makes a good project to make your first OSS contribution?

When it comes to getting started with open-source projects, it's essential to pick a project that's right for you and a good beginner project is one that scratches your own itch. Instead of trying to find a "simple" project, focus on a library or tool you use daily that doesn't quite meet your needs.

Perhaps you've pip-installed a library that's missing a crucial feature or has a bug that's driving you crazy. That's the perfect opportunity to dive in, explore the code, and contribute to the project. This approach forces you to develop your code navigation skills, and you'll likely encounter like-minded individuals along the way.

#3 Good intentions, poor execution

When working with people who have good intentions but poor execution, it's essential to know when to cut your losses. If someone opens a large and ambitious project but fails to course-correct despite guidance, it may be time to redirect your attention to more promising collaborations.

Focus on contributors who demonstrate a willingness to learn and improve quickly. You can often identify these individuals from their first draft or review.

Segments:

(00:03:27) “Project-Community Fit” in Open Source

(00:08:31) Fostering Relationships in Open Source

(00:10:58) Dealing with Trolls

(00:13:40) Attributes of Good Open Source Contributors

(00:20:01) How to Get Started with Contributing

(00:27:58) Origin Stories of Airflow and Superset

(00:33:27) Biggest Surprise since Founding a VC-backed Company?

(00:38:47) Picking What to Work On

(00:41:46) Advice to Engineers for Building the Next Airflow/Superset?

(00:42:35) The 2 New Open Source Projects that Max is Starting

(00:52:10) Challenges of Being a Founder

(00:57:38) Open Sourcing Ideas

Show Notes:

• Part 1 of our conversation: https://softwaremisadventures.com/p/maxime-beauchemin-llm-ready

• Max on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximebeauchemin/

• SQL All Stars: https://github.com/preset-io/allstars

• Governator: https://github.com/mistercrunch/governator

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