Open Source

Wuka describes reviving a three-year-old React Native Maps contribution and submitting it while applying to Callstack. Miho says he began after seeing Dan Abramov share a chance to contribute to Jest, where he built an interruptible watch mode feature.

They discuss contributing to add a feature you need, explore an idea, or learn outside your usual work. Miho describes open source as learning in public, where code, pull requests, reviews, and comments show how a developer’s thinking changes. Preparing a personal fix for others may mean making it readable and useful across different projects.

Miho recommends finding a technology or problem that interests you, then exploring ways to help. He points to Hacktoberfest, meetups, and conferences as opportunities to contribute, improve documentation, meet other developers, and work on projects together.

Miho says open source projects use different processes: Linux has public discussions through mailing lists and forums, while React Native development is tied to Facebook’s monorepo and synced with GitHub. He explains that project creators may become maintainers, and larger projects can require product, project management, and development work. His own path with Jest went from contributor to core contributor.

The conversation names Callstack projects including React Native Paper, React Native Testing Library, Re.Pack, and React Native Builder Bob. Testing Library began as a solution to a client problem and was later developed into an open source testing library. Callstack supports open source through client work, personal time, and dedicated R&D time.