What's in the SOSS? An OpenSSF Podcast Why Marketing Matters in Open Source: Introducing Co-Host Sally Cooper
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Jan 27, 2026 Sally Cooper, OpenSSF marketing lead who moved from technical training and docs into making complex tech accessible. She talks about why marketing can unsettle open source, how personal branding builds community, using personas to reach diverse stakeholders, practical ways newcomers can get involved, and OpenSSF's 2026 quarterly themes like AI/ML security and CVE transparency.
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Open Source Runs On Attention And Trust
- Open source shares ideas and trust, not products, so attention and time are the real currency.
- Without marketing, projects stay invisible, maintainers burn out, and potential contributors never find the door.
From Trainer To Marketing Lead
- Sally began in hands-on technical roles doing training, documentation, and support, which led her into software training.
- She then moved into startups and educational e-learning, doing marketing-like work before the title 'marketer' fit.
Media Shift Made Marketing About Experience
- The rise of podcasting and multimedia shifted marketing toward experience and conversation, not just features.
- Sally credits consumer media like podcasts for shaping how she connects technical topics to audiences.