The Journey So Far
Over the past few months, my journey through open-source development has been a deep dive into the Python data ecosystem. In previous releases (0.1 through 0.3), I focused heavily on data engineering and machine learning libraries. I had the opportunity to contribute to Dagster, scikit-learn, and NumPy.
These experiences were invaluable. I learned how to navigate complex C-extensions in NumPy, understood the orchestration logic in Dagster, and worked through to the strict code standards of scikit-learn. However, I felt this is another time to move out of the box one more time and push me to the new world.
Bridging Data and Application
One of the main goal is to suggest or contribute to a new feature.
Before I jump into anything, I asked myself: Where do I want to be as a developer?
I have some background in data processing, but I want to strengthen my skills in building the applications that utilize this data. I want to bridge the gap between "backend logic" and "user-facing functionality." Therefore, for this final step, I plan to walk towards the LLM (Large Language Model) orchestration or Web Framework domain.
The Target Project: LangChain, Django
After researching potential projects, I have found two interesting open source projects, LangChain and Django.
Why LangChain? With the explosion of Generative AI, LangChain has become the framework for building LLM applications. Since I have already contributed to scikit-learn and understand the fundamentals of ML pipelines, moving into LLM orchestration feels like the natural next step. It allows me to apply my Python skills to a high-impact technology.
Why Django? Django is one of the most robust web frameworks in existence. While my previous contributions were in data libraries, I want to explore the world of Full Stack development. Contributing to Django will give me chance to deal with different types of challenges such as ORM optimizations and security which are crucial for my career growth.
Moving from scientific libraries like NumPy to application frameworks like LangChain and Django is a shift in mindset. It’s a move from optimizing calculation to architecting functionality. It makes me nervous, but that’s exactly why I need to do it.
I am giving my final push to close out my 3 years of study. Stay tuned for my progress update next week.
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