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Alamin Karno
Alamin Karno

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From a Simple Flutter Task to My First Open Source Sponsorship: Crisp Chat Journey

#flutter #opensource #softwaredevelopment

Sometimes, the smallest tasks change your life.

Not instantly.
Not dramatically.

But slowly… step by step.

Today, I received my first sponsorship from Crisp for my open source project — Flutter Crisp Chat.

And honestly, it feels unreal.

Because a few years ago, I was just a junior Flutter developer trying to solve a problem.

This is that story.

It Started With a Task (2022)

Back in 2022, while working at Rokomari, I was given a task:

“Add a customer support chat system to the app.”

The tool was Crisp Chat.

At that time, I had around 6–7 months of Flutter experience. I was still learning, still figuring things out.

So I did what every developer does:

  • Looked for documentation
  • Searched for a Flutter SDK
  • Checked Pub.dev

And then I realized…

There was no official Flutter plugin.

Crisp only provided native SDKs for Android and iOS.

The First Problem

I did find one package on Pub.dev.

But it was based on WebView, loading Crisp’s web version.

And it had issues:

  • Not responsive
  • Sometimes didn’t load
  • Unstable for production

I couldn’t use it confidently.

So I had two options:

  1. Use a broken solution
  2. Or build my own

I chose to build.

Discovering Method Channels

That’s when I learned something new:

Flutter Method Channels

For the first time, I understood how Flutter talks to native code:

  • Flutter ↔ Android (Kotlin/Java)
  • Flutter ↔ iOS (Swift/Objective-C)

It wasn’t easy.

I struggled.
I failed.
I retried.

But eventually…

I made Crisp Chat work natively in Flutter.

The Idea That Changed Everything

After some time, Crisp released updates in their native SDK.

That meant:

  • I had to manually update native code
  • Reconfigure everything
  • Test again

Then I thought:

“If I’m facing this problem… others probably are too.”

And that’s when the idea came:

What if I build a Flutter plugin and share it?

I Didn’t Know How to Build a Plugin

At that time, I knew what a plugin was.

But I had no idea how to create one.

So I started learning:

  • YouTube tutorials
  • Flutter documentation
  • Trial and error

After many attempts…

I built and published my first plugin:

https://pub.dev/packages/crisp_chat

The Real Journey Began After Publishing

Publishing was not the end.

It was the beginning.

Slowly:

  • Developers started using it
  • Issues started coming in
  • Feature requests appeared
  • People from different countries reached out

And something amazing happened:

I became part of a global developer community.

I wasn’t just coding anymore.

I was contributing.

Learning Through Contribution

I kept improving the plugin in my free time:

  • Fixing bugs
  • Adding features
  • Helping developers
  • Responding to issues

I also started sharing what I learned:

Each problem taught me something new.

Each solution made the project better.

When Crisp Noticed

One day, something unexpected happened.

The Crisp team discovered my work.

They appreciated it.
They reached out.

And even sent me swag from France 🇫🇷.

I even shared the unboxing here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17ftxqnaU5/

That moment was special.

Not because of the gifts.

But because someone noticed my effort.

The Moment I Never Expected

Recently, something even bigger happened.

I received a pull request from the CEO of Crisp.

Yes… the CEO.

He loved the project.

And then:

Crisp decided to sponsor my open source work.

It’s Not Just About the Money

Yes, getting sponsored feels amazing.

But honestly?

What matters more is:

  • The community I built
  • The people I connected with
  • The global exposure
  • The learning journey

I talked to developers from different countries.
Learned how they work.
Understood different cultures.

Open source changed my perspective.

What I’m Building Next

I want to use this support to make the project better:

  • Improve developer experience
  • Create better documentation
  • Make integration easier

I already built a documentation site:

https://alamin-karno.github.io/flutter-crisp-chat/

Next steps:

  • Buy a proper domain
  • Improve hosting
  • Create better guides

This sponsorship will go back into learning and improving the project.

My Message to You

If you are a developer:

  • Learning
  • Building
  • Struggling

Don’t stop.

Your small project today can become:

  • A tool others use
  • A community
  • Or even your first sponsorship

You don’t need to be an expert.

I wasn’t.

I just:

  • Faced a problem
  • Tried to solve it
  • Shared it with others

Final Thoughts

This journey started with a simple task.

Today, it’s an open source project used by developers worldwide.

And now…

It’s supported by the very company behind it.

That’s the power of:

Learning
Building
Sharing

Explore the Project

Pub.dev: https://pub.dev/packages/crisp_chat
Docs: https://alamin-karno.github.io/flutter-crisp-chat/

If this story inspires even one developer to start something…

Then it was worth sharing ❤️

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