From Helping Out to Taking Ownership: The Art of Sticking Around
I frequently receive messages from enthusiastic contributors who have completed 2 or 3 high-quality pull requests (PRs) in just 1 month. They’re proactive, their work is top-tier, and they’ve handled feedback like pros. Then comes the question: "Hey, would you consider me to be a maintainer for this project?"
I love the energy, but here’s the candid truth: being a maintainer isn't just about finishing a few impressive tasks. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. If you want to move into a role with more responsibility in open source, you have to do more than drop a few contributions and leave. You have to be the person who sticks around, shows your commitment, and makes a real difference.
The "Sprint" Mentality
Most people start contributing because they want to practice their skills in a real-world environment. They want to strengthen their resumes, hit personal milestones, and have a concrete way to showcase their skills.
That is a great way to start. It feels good to say, "I created a PR to add a new feature!" or "I found a bug that was crucial for the UX (user experience)!" These are fantastic milestones and should be celebrated because they are moving the project forward. But a project doesn't survive on new features alone. It survives because someone is there to keep the lights on. When a contributor drops a massive piece of code and then disappears, they’ve actually just given the maintainers more work to do in the long run.
Maintenance is not about adding more; it’s about how much of the hard work you're willing to share. It's awesome to achieve personal goals, but a project really lives on because of the people who keep helping long after their first contributions.
The "Invisible" Work That Really Matters
The tasks that lead to maintainer or leadership roles are often the ones that don't get you a public mention or another green square on your GitHub profile. I call this the "invisible" work:
Answering questions: Helping someone on Slack, Discord, or GitHub who’s stuck.
Onboarding: Being a welcoming presence for a new person making their first contribution.
Triaging: Sorting through messy bug reports and figuring out which ones are real.
Reviewing PRs: Checking others' work to make sure it aligns with the project's goals.
This work is what keeps a community alive. If folks feel welcome when contributing and they get help if it's their first time, they are much more likely to stay longer. These are the fruits of those "invisible" contributions.
Not many folks want to do this stuff because it can feel lonely and unrecognized. It feels like you're doing the work, but it doesn't always come with a "good job" or kudos. But this is exactly what the core team looks for when recruiting new maintainers.
My Story: I Just Lingered Longer Than Anyone Else
I didn't reach leadership roles because I created hundreds of issues and PRs. I got there by hanging around long enough to understand the project’s vision, architecture, and problems.
The Virtual Coffee Handbook
I became the Documentation Team Lead at Virtual Coffee because I listened to the community. I noticed people kept asking the same questions. So, I took the initiative to write down the pain points folks encountered and created a community handbook. It answered the common questions for new and existing members. I saw a gap, and I filled it.
The OpenSauced Connection
Because of my work at Virtual Coffee, the founder, Bekah — who was the team lead at OpenSauced at the time — asked me to be a Docs Maintainer there. It wasn't just a random offer. She saw what I was capable of as a lead at Virtual Coffee and knew I could bring that same value to the OpenSauced docs.
The Mautic Path
In 2024, I contributed to Mautic during Hacktoberfest. That whole month, I only made one PR. But I didn't leave when the event ended. I stayed. I took on more issues, but I also started reviewing other people’s PRs and sharing ideas to improve the documentation. I remember spending much more time reviewing others' work and brainstorming than writing my own. Doing this actually helped me see the "big picture." I began to understand how the project was built and where it was headed, which gave me the confidence to suggest better ways to shape the documentation.
Because I kept showing up frequently and didn't contribute sporadically, the team asked me to become the Assistant Team Lead in June 2025. Fast forward to January 2026, and I stepped into the role of Education Team Lead.
How You Can Move Toward Maintenance and Leadership
If you want to take on a bigger role in a project, stop jumping from one repo to another. Don't just create a couple of great PRs and expect to be a maintainer. Here’s my advice on how to get noticed:
Pick one project and stick to it: It’s better to be a "regular" in one community than a stranger in ten.
Review more, create less: Try to review two PRs for every one you write. It shows you care about the whole project, not just your own stats.
Be the "friendly face": If you see someone struggling with a setup error, jump in and help. The core team loves people who make the community feel welcoming and help new folks get started.
Fix the "low-glamor" stuff: Is the README confusing? Is a link directing to an incorrect website? Fixing these small, annoying things is often more helpful than adding a fancy new button.
Understand the "why": Don't just look at the code. Learn the architecture and where the project is headed. When you understand the vision, your contributions become much more valuable.
Take the initiative: Don't wait for someone to assign you a task. If you see a pain point — as I did with the handbook — write it down and propose a solution.
Listen and learn: Every open source community is different. Instead of assuming that all projects have the same workflow and culture, take the time to learn how this one works. It’s the best way to grow from a contributor into a trusted partner.
Final Words
Whether you want to be a maintainer or move into a leadership role, it's all about trust. You build that trust by being there when things aren't "exciting." It’s about being the person who is still around months and years after the big launch.
If you want to take on more ownership, stop looking for the next big milestone to hit and start looking for the next person who needs a hand. That’s how you truly become part of the heart of the project.
