---
tags: presentations
---

# How to burn out developers and alienate contributors

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## About me: oli-obk


Note:

obviously biased

survivorship bias

tell me where I can do better

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## The plan

* a bit about research
* a bit about open source
* drawing parallels
* the future

Note:

lots of anecdotes, starting out a bit dark

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## Research

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1. Have idea
2. Find Prof who likes idea
3. Do PhD
4. Finish PhD
5. Profit!?!

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Not so fast

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<span style="font-size:40px;">teaching</span>
<span style="font-size:36px;">exams</span>
<span style="font-size:32px;">grading</span>
<span style="font-size:28px;">random PR campaigns for funding</span>
<span style="font-size:24px;">find funding for yourself</span>
<span style="font-size:20px;">mentor young PhDs</span>
<span style="font-size:16px;">watch out for rival profs' proxy warring</span>
<span style="font-size:12px;">write papers for your prof</span>
<span style="font-size:8px;">figure out what you were working on a month ago</span>
<span style="font-size:8px;">actually work on your topic</span>

Note:

don't read all that

I love teaching, just not how it's often done

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Anyone heard of burnout?

Spoiler: Not in academia

Note:

(outside of psych)

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# [redacted]

Note:

had a bunch of quotes from awful ppl here

not worth repeating.

be aware that science isn't the pretty ivory tower

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Anyway...

Not everyone finishes their thesis

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## Drop out rate (Germany)

| Independent | Employed | Stipend |
| -------- | -------- | -------- |
| 25% | 14% | 8% |

<span style="font-size:8px;">
Brandt, Gesche, and Anja Franz. "Promotionsabbrecher*innen in Deutschland." die hochschule. journal für wissenschaft und bildung: 16.
</span>

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# Never trust data you didn't falsify yourself

Note:

Number of unreported cases

unregistered until a year or two in

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## Summary

Research has lots of exploitation

<span style="font-size:20px;">... among other problems</span>

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## Open Source

Note:

earnest OS contrib since 2016

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Note:

dove into rustc

stuck around

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### Quick Reminder

survivorship bias

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1. Have idea
2. implement
3. open PR
4. get review
5. address review
6. merge

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Not so fast

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* reviewing costs time
* 8h work per day
* 6h *effective* per day [1]
* why is my PR not getting reviewed?

<p style="font-size:8px;">
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/nov/04/microsoft-japan-four-day-work-week-productivity
</p>

Note:

open source after work hours

already drained

weekend?

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Solution:

Become a reviewer

Note:

save the other maintainers some time

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## You guessed it

Not. So. Fast!

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Note:

I joke, but...

actively reviewed projects attract

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People come ...

... and go

Note:

Sometimes they go because of you

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Note:

subjective experience

data exists, but... hard to analyze

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## Parallels

| | Research | Open Source |
| ----------------- | -------- | ----------- |
| exciting | ✓ | ✓ |
| rewarding | ✓ | ✓ |
| not enough time | ✓ | ✓ |
| waiting on others | ✓ | ✓ |
| need to deliver | ✓ | ✓ |
| burn out | ✓ | ✓ |

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## Let's fix it

Note:

joke: ask 10 ppl, get 12 opinions

all boils down to 3 things

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:moneybag: :hourglass_flowing_sand: :desktop_computer:

Note:

three components

* money
* time
* resources

no particular order

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# Resources

* Reduce compile-time/test-time
* Speed up CI
* Personal hardware

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# Time

* Minimize your tests
* Bisect regressions
* Accept maintainer priorities
* Deadlines are a lie
* Real vacations or sabbaticals

Note:

deadlines and lighthouse projects can quickly make some people throw the towel

encourage ppl to really *leave* for a while to recharge

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# Money

* Sponsor your maintainers
* Hire your maintainers
* Pay people to become maintainers

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# Progress in Rust

* ~10 FTE on Compiler hired
* Library maintainers hired
* Paid on-call crates.io team
* WIP: ssh dev-desktop.rust-lang.org
* Sponsoring developers...

Note:

Many hired devs don't get 100% though

No, this URL doesn't exist yet

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# Sponsoring

|  |  |  |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------ |
|  |  | |
|  |

Note:

Shout out to sponsors.

"no particular order", just the order I found them :face_with_rolling_eyes:

looking through some Rustacean's gh sponsors

Foundation members working on eliminating red tape

Hiring is easier than sponsoring :rolling_on_the_floor_laughing:

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# Personal note

Note:

connecting the dots of this talk with my life

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# 2016-2020: PhD + Rust

* Working 10+ hours/day
* Working weekends

Note:

Was already planning my Rust exodus

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# Feburary: Working at aws

* BigCo trainings :upside_down_face:
* Work on rustc full time :+1:
* Weekends 🎉

Note:

Same work as before, but paid

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# April: Parental leave

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# July: Part time

Note:

Practiced this presentation over the weekend

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# Summary

* Pay devs
* Respect devs' time
* Simplify devs' lives
* Rust Foundation!!!

Note:

Foundation's mission is to support maintainers