For the last few years, Hacktoberfest has been my excuse to dive into code — fixing bugs, improving docs, and contributing to projects like Open Policy Agent, Ortelius, and Real Dev Squad.
But this year, I decided to take a step back.
No code, no pull requests — just conversations.
I spent Hacktoberfest 2025 talking to people about open source.
How they could start, where to look, and most importantly, why it matters.
And honestly, it changed how I look at contribution.
Open source isn’t only powered by code — it’s powered by people. The ones who write, test, review, design, or simply encourage someone else to try. Watching someone make their first contribution after a quick chat felt just as good as merging my own PR.
I realized that being part of open source isn’t just about what you build — it’s about who you bring along.
So if you’re joining next year, start wherever you can.
Write, review, share, guide, or even just ask questions.
Because open source grows when more people feel they belong — and sometimes, the best way to contribute is to help someone else begin.
This Hacktoberfest reminded me that contribution isn’t always code — sometimes, it’s connection.
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