Sustain

Guest Jack Skinner Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer talks with Jack Skinner, PyCon AU organizer and freelance consultant/fractional CTO, to explore why regional conferences matter so much to the long-term health of open source communities. Their conversation looks at how events like PyCon AU do far more than host talks, they create local connections, nurture future leaders, support first-time speakers, and help sustain the broader Python ecosystem in ways that global conferences alone cannot. Drawing on Jack’s experience as a conference organizer and community builder, the episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of running volunteer-led events, from sponsorships and logistics to burnout, accessibility, and building a stronger pipeline of future organizers. Press download now to hear more! [00:01:49] Jack shares his background and how he got involved in Python and event organizing. [00:02:48] We hear about Jack’s first PyCon AU experience. [00:04:14] Jack describes PyCon AU, who it serves, and how it’s changed after COVID. [00:07:01] Why do regional conferences exist alongside PyCon US? [00:09:24] Jack talks about what makes Australia and New Zealand different as conference communities. [00:10:55] PyCon AU’s attendance goals are discussed as Jack mentions his big goal is to bring attendance back to roughly 500-600 people, restoring pre-pandemic strength. [00:12:04] The discussion turns to conference structure: tracks, workshops, and sponsor interest, with Jack emphasizing sponsorship is not just about money. [00:14:54] Richard asks how organizers know whether conferences help people learn, connect, or build community. Jack explains how they’re measuring community impact beyond “good vibes” and rebuilding local Python communities. [00:17:34] Jack explains PyCon AU is trying to build a future organizer pipeline by letting people observe how conference planning works and introduces his proposed program/project, “shadow team.” [00:19:09] Another project Jack is working on is documenting the behind-the-scenes work of organizing the conference through long-form writing. [00:20:38] Jack admits he feels imposter syndrome because he’s not paid to write Python, his contribution is centered on the sociotechnical side. [00:23:20] PyCon AU’s independence from government and institutions is discussed, and how the conference community is globally aware, even if locally focused. [00:27:05] Call for proposals details, deadline is March 29, and the in-person focus for this year’s event are mentioned. Richard discusses the return of the academic track and Jack details more info on poster sessions and workshop submissions. [00:32:08] Volunteering and buying tickets are explained and why you should buy tickets early if you can. Quotes [00:32:20] “Volunteering is an awesome way to be involved in PyCon.” Spotlight [00:35:16] Richard’s spotlight is two of his lecturers at the University of Edinburgh, Simon Kirby and Andrew Smith, who introduced him to Python. [00:35:55] Jack’s spotlight is two companion projects: pretalx and pretix. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Jack Skinner LinkedIn Jack Skinner Website PyCon AU, August 26-30, 2026, Brisbane PyCon AU News & Updates Sustain Podcast-Episode 75: Deb Nicholson on the OSI, the future of open source, and SeaGL Sustain Podcast-Episode 137: A How-to Guide for Contributing to Open Source as an Employee, for Corporations (featuring Deb Nicholson as Host) Guido van Rossum Whale song shows language-like statistical structure Simon Kirby (co-lead author) pretalx (GitHub) pretix (GitHub) Sponsor CURIOSS Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Jack Skinner.Support Sustain

Guest Miranda Heath Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer is joined by PhD student Miranda Heath to discuss her research on altruism and maintainer burnout in open source, and specifically her report on burn out in open source maintainers. Miranda shares insights from her study on what motivates people to act altruistically and how these behaviors manifest in open source communities. She delves into the common issues maintainers face, such as changing motivations and the systemic challenges that contribute to burnout. Drawing on examples from her research, including kidney donors and open source maintainers, Miranda explores how community support, mentorship, and better funding can help mitigate burnout. The conversation also touches on the unique challenges neurodiverse maintainers face and the importance of creating supportive environments for them. Press download now to hear more! [00:00:44] Richard introduces Miranda Heath, whom he met at FOSDEM, and she’s built a major report on maintainer burnout. [00:02:04] Miranda studies what motivates people to benefit others, how “altruism” is often framed too narrowly, and she points out neglected forms. [00:03:40] Richard asks about a name for the type of altruism, and they land on “collective altruism” as a useful label for shared/commons based giving. [00:04:25] Miranda explains her work on anonymous kidney donors and the key insight from the kidney donors is that altruism can be mundane. [00:06:45] Looking at the motivations of open source developers, Miranda sees overlap between altruistic impulses and open source and contrasts this with academia’s paywall-driven publication system. [00:08:36] They discuss how motivation changes which leads to burnout risk, and Richard brings up Miranda’s maintainer burnout report and what it was based on. [00:10:13] Miranda describes how this report started and what she wanted to change. [00:13:21] What are some systematic solutions for burnout? Miranda argues “money vs people” is a false dichotomy: respecting maintainers includes making it possible to live. Burnout is worsened by “double shift” dynamics and “Labor of love is still labor.” [00:16:18] Richard notes many maintainers are paid through employers, Miranda talks about paid maintainer roles still carry burnout risk, and some research done by Robert Karasek in the late 70’s. [00:20:14] Miranda draws from social psychology: communities run on group norms (often unspoken), and emphasizes we need to make beneficiaries feel part of the in-group, so they adopt norms. [00:22:36] Richard highlights the Open Source Pledge and policy approaches like the Cyber Resilience Act, and Miranda notes policy could reduce autonomy and increase burnout if rigid. [00:26:22] What happens after burnout? Miranda believes we should prevent unwanted exits, normalize “sunsetting” conversations, and have a plan to wind down a project. [00:31:17] There’s a discussion on how burnout shouldn’t equal personal failure, and an example is brought up with the Tailwind CSS tensions. [00:35:19] Miranda stresses the importance of mentorship for community roles to be filled, Richard cites Abby Cabunoc’s “3 C’s” for mentor-worthy contributors, and Miranda mentions the concept of “Mentorship Triangle.” [00:38:03] Find out where you can follow Miranda and her work online. [00:38:27] We wrap with Miranda sharing there’s an important gap with neurodivergence and autistic burnout and how more research needs to be done. Quotes [00:15:13] “Maintenance work is work, but a labor of love is labor.” Spotlight [00:40:47] Richard's spotlight is the klezmer band, OCH VEY. [00:41:33] Miranda’s spotlight is the puzzle game, TR-49. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Miranda Heath Website Sentry Open Source Pledge Job Demands, Job Decision Latitude, and Mental Strain: Implications for Job Redesign by Robert Karasek, Jr. (Sage Publications) Cyber Resilience Act Abby Cabunoc Mayes-The Synthetic Senior: Rethinking Free Software Mentorship in the AI Era (FOSDEM 2026 talk video) OCH VEY Instagram TR-49 Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Miranda Heath.Support Sustain

Trent Van Epps, Protocol Guild organizer and Ethereum Foundation protocol coordination staff, talks funding for core protocol developers and the 1% Pledge funding vehicle. He explores why open-source contributors are underpaid and how collective representation can unlock larger support. He also discusses diversity’s role in protocol resilience and how funding dynamics differ between open source and blockchain.

Nuno Loureiro, lead designer at the Ethereum Foundation known for shaping ethereum.org and design systems. He discusses opening a design system to collaboration. He explores UX as a barrier to open source adoption. He talks about attracting designers, building trust and reliability in blockchain interfaces, and highlights Penpot as an important open design tool.

Lucas Fada, Head of Partnerships at Drips Network with 10+ years in early-stage startups, talks funding paths for open source maintainers. He covers how funders choose projects, making projects more visible and fundable, Drips’ crypto "Fund Me" button and a planned super app for funding, and how Web3 and partnerships can turn maintenance into sustainable careers.

Devansh Mehta, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation working on funding mechanisms for public goods and open source infrastructure. He explores quadratic funding, credit assignment, dependency graphs, Goodhart’s Law, and how AI can help without taking over. He also discusses why open networks struggle against corporations and introduces new approaches like Deep Funding to better link revenue to costs.

Guest Nixo Rokish Panelists Eriol Fox | Victory Brown Show Notes In this live episode of Sustain from Devconnect in Buenos Aires, host Eriol Fox and co-host Victory Brown sit down with Nixo Rokish, Protocol Support Lead at the Ethereum Foundation, to unpack how Ethereum’s deeply decentralized governance actually works in practice. They dive into the nuts and bolts of coordinating 100+ core contributors across 11+ client teams, why neutral facilitation is crucial, how Ethereum’s upgrade and EIP process avoids “single maintainer” failure modes, and what lessons other open source projects can steal to make their own governance more sustainable. The episode concludes with Nixo promoting the EthStaker project focused on decentralized staking. Hit download now to hear more! [00:00:38] Nixo explains Ethereum as a rare example of truly decentralized governance and she describes the Protocol Coordination team. [00:02:25] Why does this governance model matter for sustainability? Nixo says most projects rely on 1-2 key people and if they leave, the project can stall or die. [00:04:09] Eriol asks if anyone resists this decentralized, community-led governance model. Nixo says active participants are mostly enthusiastic about the process and the main friction from VCs wanting more control and social media “ship faster” pressure. [00:05:51] Eriol talks about money and influence entering open source projects and Nixo shares that core devs are motivated by building systems for many people, not concentrating profit. [00:08:00] Nixo walks through the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) process. [00:11:38] Victory asks how they manage consensus with so many people and companies involved. Nixo explains 11+ client times, only one is within EF, other are independent companies/nonprofits. [00:13:36] Eriol reacts to how impressive it is that devs can reach consensus via facilitation and asks Nixo for advice for smaller open source projects that want to adopt similar practices. Her key advice is to have a neutral facilitator. [00:16:13] Nixo shares where you can find her on the internet and she spotlights a project she used to work at called, EthStaker. Links podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox X Victory Brown X Nixo Rokish X Devconnect-Buenos Aires, Argentina 2025, 17-22 November Ethereum Ethereum Foundation Institute of Forecasting & Planning EthStaker Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Logistical support by Tina Arboleda from Digital Savvies Special Guest: Nixo Rokish.Support Sustain

Shubhranshu Choudhary, journalist and activist behind CGNet Swara, builds community-led, inclusive journalism in rural and conflict-affected India. He discusses why mainstream media feels aristocratic. He explores open source, Web3 and blockchain as tools for democratic media. He outlines using AI to reduce costs and building trust, anonymity, and local control for sustainable, people-powered news.

Mário Havel, protocol support engineer at the Ethereum Foundation and co-founder of Bordel Hackerspace in Prague. He talks about running a community makerspace and funding it with an Ethereum crowdloan. He contrasts free software values with corporate open source influence. He connects protocol scalability, security, and developer fellowships to long-term sustainability.

Join Rynn Mancuso, an open-source community leader, Maryblessing Okolie, a Nigerian contributor focused on inclusivity, and Mo McElaney, co-author of the Hippocratic License, as they dive into the convergence of ethics and open-source licensing. They explore the challenges behind the Hippocratic License's 'do no harm' philosophy, the necessity of updating Contributor Covenant 3.0 for global inclusivity, and the ongoing efforts in ethical AI. Their insights emphasize community involvement and the importance of creating safer digital spaces for everyone.