How to hire open-source developers
It may seem counterintuitive to release your intellectual property to the masses for free, but open sourcing your software can help you attract top talent, bolster your branding, help your product gain market share as a platform, and leverage the collective experience of a global community of passionate developers.
So how do you hire open-source developers? What follows are some tips for finding top open-source consultants on Upwork.
How to shortlist open-source development professionals
As youโre browsing available open-source development consultants, it can be helpful to develop a shortlist of the professionals you may want to interview. You can screen profiles on criteria such as:
- Technology fit. You want an open-source developer who understands the technologies you wish to open source.
- Project experience. Screen candidate profiles for specific skills and experience (e.g., open sourcing a Python machine learning library on GitHub).
- Feedback. Check reviews from past clients for glowing testimonials or red flags that can tell you what itโs like to work with a particular open-source developer.
How to write an effective open-source development job post
With a clear picture of your ideal open-source developer in mind, itโs time to write that job post. Although you donโt need a full job description as you would when hiring an employee, aim to provide enough detail for a contractor to know if theyโre the right fit for the project.
Job post title
Create a simple title that describes exactly what youโre looking for. The idea is to target the keywords that your ideal candidate is likely to type into a job search bar to find your project. Here are some sample open-source development job post titles:
- Need help open sourcing our material component library for Vue.js
- Need help managing an open-source C++ library on GitHub
- Building an open-source image-recognition library with TensorFlow
Open-source development project description
An effective open-source job post should include:ย
- Scope of work: From GitHub listings to feature development, list all the deliverables youโll need.ย
- Project length: Your job post should indicate whether this is a smaller or larger project.ย
- Background: If you prefer experience with certain industries, software, or developer tools, mention this here.ย
- Budget: Set a budget and note your preference for hourly rates vs. fixed-price contracts.
Open-source developer responsibilities
Here are some examples of open-source developer job responsibilities:
- Design and develop open-source software
- Host and maintain open-source projects on a remote repository (e.g., GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab)
- Write and maintain open-source documentation (e.g., README, contributing guidelines, code of conduct)
- Monitor and handle bug reports, feature suggestions, contributor comments, and questionsย
Open-source developer requirements and qualifications
Be sure to include any requirements and qualifications youโre looking for in an open-source developer. Here are some examples:
- Application-specific programming language (e.g., C# for ASP.NET)ย
- Software development methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, XP)
- Familiarity with the SDLC (from requirements gathering to deployment and maintenance)
- Code documentation