How I Became a Top 10 GitHub Contributor World-Wide
Five Strategies You Can Use
For those of you who know me, you might be aware of my penchant for promoting my status as a top ten GitHub contributor in the US. While I believe that this particular stat doesn’t hold much intrinsic value, it does reflect some underlying truths about productivity and effective contribution. Here, I want to share the five strategies I employ that anyone can adopt to achieve a similar level of output.
1. Break Tasks into Bite-Sized Pieces
One of the most common pitfalls in many companies is the tendency to bundle large, 1–2 week tasks into a single ticket. This approach can be detrimental because a single miscommunication or delayed code review can derail the entire feature. By breaking tasks into smaller, bite-sized pieces, the workflow becomes more manageable, communication improves, and progress speeds up.
2. Don’t Get Bogged Down by Coding Conventions
While coding conventions, like utility classes, are important for maintaining code quality, scalability, and maintainability, it’s essential not to become overly fixated on them. Adhering to these conventions is beneficial, but they shouldn’t hinder your progress or become a bottleneck. Practicality often trumps perfection in fast-paced development environments.
3. Master All Parts of the Stack
A significant reason why teams struggle with speed is bottlenecks in specific areas of expertise. To counter this, it’s crucial to become proficient in all parts of the stack — frontend, backend, DevOps, and even design. Start by specializing in one area, such as frontend development, then gradually expand your expertise to backend development, DevOps, and design. After three years of building side projects and learning each part of the stack, my contributions soared from 3,000 to 7,000 annually. This comprehensive knowledge significantly boosts your ability to contribute effectively and swiftly.
4. Align Contributions with Business Objectives
To maintain direction and purpose in your work, ensure that your contributions align with real-world business use cases. This alignment helps you stay focused on what needs to be done next, avoiding the uncertainty of directionless development.
5. Dedication and Hard Work
This may seem obvious, but it’s worth reiterating: putting in the hours is crucial. Consistent, hard work can make a substantial difference in your output. There are no shortcuts to achieving high levels of contribution without a significant investment of time and effort.
By following these guidelines, you too can see your annual commits reach an impressive 7,000 to 9,000 per year. Embrace these strategies, and watch your productivity and impact as a GitHub contributor grow exponentially.
