VS Code Insiders Podcast Building & Scaling Open Source Communities with Steve Francia
Oct 27, 2025
Steve Francia, an accomplished open source maintainer known for creating Hugo and Cobra, discusses the intricacies of building and scaling open source communities. He shares insights on mentorship, the necessity of letting projects evolve, and strategies to encourage contributor engagement. Steve emphasizes the importance of diverse contributions beyond code, including documentation and marketing. He also explores the impact of AI on open source, expressing excitement about how AI can enhance developer experiences and streamline workflows.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
How Hugo And Cobra Originated
- Steve started using Go to solve his own pain hosting static sites and built Hugo as his first Go project.
- Hugo's needs led him to create Cobra, which later became widely adopted beyond his original use case.
Step Aside To Scale Open Source
- Get out of the way of your project by inviting others to maintain and shape it once it gains users.
- Delegate review and maintainer roles, set guidelines, and let the community drive the project's direction.
Ownership Changes When Projects Scale
- Once big companies adopt your project, it ceases to be 'yours' and you inherit a social contract to avoid breaking users.
- Your personal vision can limit a project's potential; collective ownership unlocks broader growth.