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Sustain

Episode 206: Sophia Vargas of Google on Funding and Motivation in Open Source

Nov 3, 2023
Researcher and Program Manager at Google, Sophia Vargas, discusses the challenges of understanding contributors' motivations in open source, Google's role in the ecosystem, and the 'glue work' that holds open source communities together.
42:16

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Understanding the motivations behind open source contributions goes beyond financial incentives and requires comprehensive research.
  • Recognizing and valuing the "glue work" in open source communities, such as community engagement and coordination, is essential for better tracking and credit.

Deep dives

The Importance of Understanding Open Source Ecosystems

Understanding open source ecosystems and their dynamics is crucial for organizations and researchers. Sophia Vargas, a researcher at Google, shares her perspective on studying open source ecosystems, particularly from a business and industry research lens. She emphasizes the need to go beyond code contributions and consider the broader aspects of open source, such as motivation, system design, and community engagement. By investigating metrics and tracking different types of activities, researchers can gain insights into how money and incentives impact individuals and communities in open source projects.

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