This talk is for developers who do not think open source is for them (it is), and organizers of open source projects who want to encourage and attract more talent.

When I was a junior developer, open source never seemed quite “open” to me. Attempts to navigate interesting open source projects always ended in frustration as I sat alone at my computer, not knowing how to begin or who to contact.

I currently serve on the steering committee of a bi-weekly hack night that serves as a nexus point of open source projects for social good. As an organizer, I formalized the pain points and trust signals encountered in my personal journey with open source in an effort to remove blockers for hack night attendees. I will present some of those learnings in this talk to show that well-formed open source communities can, and should, be accessible to everyone.