I’m now a full-time professional open source maintainer (words.filippo.io)

Article summary

The author, a former Google employee, has become a full-time independent open-source maintainer, earning a comparable income to their previous job through retainer agreements with companies that benefit from their work. They offer maintenance services, planning, and expertise to these companies, and believe this model can be sustainable and reproducible for other maintainers. The author is sharing their experience to popularize this model and help others adopt it. They have six clients and are making an amount of money equivalent to their Google total compensation package.

Main themes

• open-source maintenance
• independent maintainers
• sustainable income models
• retainer agreements
• administerative overhead
• partnership and collaboration
• navigation and reliability

What commenters say

• Becoming a sustainable open-source maintainer requires a significant amount of money, potentially comparable to a high-paying tech industry job.
• The 'starving artist' trope is no longer applicable to open-source maintainers, as some are able to earn good money through various means.
• A specific number for the author's current income would be more informative than a vague comparison to their previous Google compensation.
• The model of independent open-source maintainers could be more viable with the help of an agency or talent management relationship to handle administrative tasks.
• Partnership or collaboration with others can help mitigate the risks and challenges of being an independent open-source maintainer.
• The author's experience is impressive, but may not be easily replicable for others without a similar network and financial means.
• The concept of 'one watch or three' is relevant to the discussion of navigation and reliability in various contexts, including open-source maintenance.