4 years at FOSS United

Today marks my four-year anniversary since joining the FOSS United Foundation. Looking back, when I first got involved in community building during my sophomore year in college in 2017, I had no idea I’d end up being part of something as impactful as FOSS United. This organization is playing a key role in bringing together people who develop and use free and open-source software in India. This community isn’t just important for IT professionals but also for students who can help put India on the map for creating great FOSS projects.

At FOSS United, we make sure that almost all our events are free. We manage to do this thanks to the donations from our industry partners, although we do charge a little for around 10% of our events. It’s unbelievable to see how much our community has grown in the last four years. However, the biggest challenge we face now is managing and governing this large community.

The Next Step in Our Journey: Improving Governance

In May 2024, Rahul Poruri came on board as the CEO of FOSS United Foundation with clear goals to help our community and our team grow even stronger. We all agree that to keep our programs running well and for a long time, we need good governance. It’s not okay for our staff to be working 60-70 hours a week. So, with better strategies for working together, we’re hopeful that free and open-source software will become even more popular in India. We believe FOSS can do a lot of good for everyone, not just people working in IT.

Something New on the Horizon

Aside from my work at FOSS United, I’ve been thinking about starting a new project in my hometown, Champaran, Bihar. I want to create a space where people can come together, experiment, and learn new things. This project is going to be something I work on alongside my main job at FOSS United.

If the idea of building this new community space excites you and you think you’d like to be a part of it, I’d be thrilled to meet up and talk more about it. You can book a time to chat with me here.