This year, like every past year, is full of excitement and opportunities regarding Hacktoberfest. This isn't about flooding pull requests into projects for the sake of it; it's about your growth, learning, and associating yourself with people having similar interests all around the world. I started my contribution journey two years ago in projects like Legesher, PyPro, and HackClubSal, besides other great open-source communities like EddieHub, Vercel and many more. Each contribution has been an adventure of its own, with some teaching me about new tools and concepts, but above all, an encouraging global community.
"Hacktoberfest is more than a month of contributions—it’s a festival of productivity and learning."
For those who haven’t yet taken part, Hacktoberfest is an open invitation to all. It’s a month-long event that’s free and open to anyone—whether you’re a seasoned coder or just starting out. You don’t need to be an expert to contribute. In fact, one of the things I love most about Hacktoberfest is how welcoming the community is. There’s always someone to guide you, and no contribution is too small. It's about being part of something bigger and leaving a positive mark in the tech world.
Hacktoberfest is a celebration of learning, contribution, and community—an opportunity to make a real impact
Why I Participated
I joined initially due to curiosity and a desire to give back: open source is such a huge part of nearly every piece of modern software we use today, and contributing is a way to make that ecosystem even better. What keeps me coming back every year is more than that, though: a sense of accomplishment, friendships I have made, and knowledge gained. You learn by doing, and every pull request, every contribution adds up to your skill set.
For me, Hacktoberfest is a place where anybody can grow and anybody can contribute. Be it fixing bugs, adding a feature, or improving the documentation-you're actually doing something worthy. And beyond the immediate feeling of satisfaction you get when you see your code merged, it's a chance to learn new technologies and coding practices.
Remember, Hacktoberfest is not just about coding or technical contributions. There are so many activities and challenges open that are nontechnical, such as the Dev.to Writing Challenge. This particular initiative tunes skills in writing; though, it absolutely doesn't matter __whether you lose or win - the experience is so valuable and educating. By sharing your thoughts and insights while taking part in the challenges, you actually train yourself to express your thoughts in the best possible way. It's in a sense expanding the definition of contribution during Hacktoberfest.
Contributing to open source: it is not about perfection, it's about progression.
Each year, I make it a point to contribute at least 5 pull requests to various repositories, but the numbers aren’t the only thing that matter. The conversations you have with maintainers, the feedback you receive, and the improvements you make all help you grow as a developer. And the best part is that Hacktoberfest isn’t just for coders—designers, writers, testers, and even translators can all contribute in meaningful ways. There’s truly a place for everyone.
Why Hacktoberfest is Important
Hacktoberfest isn’t just about building profiles; it’s about building relationships and experiences. Sure, adding contributions to your resume can make you stand out to employers, but the value of Hacktoberfest goes beyond professional growth. I’ve seen people find co-founders for their startups, meet mentors who guide them, and even connect with VCs who fund their ideas—all through the open-source community. It’s a powerful ecosystem of talent and opportunity.
Participating in Hacktoberfest gives you a sense of belonging to something larger than yourself. It’s about creating software that can be used and improved by people all over the world.
It’s about learning to work with others, improving your skills, and contributing to a future where technology is more accessible to everyone.
Looking Forward
This year, I’m eager to dive into projects related to AI/ML, an area that has always intrigued me. There’s a lot happening in the world of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and contributing to open-source projects in these fields is a way for me to deepen my understanding while also helping the community. If you know of any interesting AI/ML projects, feel free to ping me—I’m always looking for ways to get involved!
For those considering Hacktoberfest for the first time, my advice is simple: Jump in. There’s no better time to contribute, learn, and grow. You’ll come out of it with new skills, new friends, and a deeper understanding of the power of open-source.
Hacktoberfest is a celebration of learning, contribution, and community—an opportunity to make a real impact.
The best part? You don’t have to wait until next year.
Start today, find a project that interests you, and make your first pull request. The world of open-source is waiting for you, and Hacktoberfest is the perfect time to get started.
Top comments (0)