"Transparency & Education: Funded contributors and projects should be prepared to share their experience and expertise with the greater community. We prefer developers who actively engage in mentorship, and help introduce Bitcoin software development to newcomers."
This excerpt above is from OpenSats and inspired me to write this.
How I got an OpenSats grant, ymmv
I was laid off Dec. 2022 with a bunch of other tech folks. This occurred just a year into my deep dive into the world of Bitcoin. We got a new puppy the day before I foudn out I was on the chopping block when "14%" came up in head count discussions. I spent the next couple of months half-heartedly trying to contribute to Bitcoin open source without any real focus. So when I didn't land a gig in the industry that I so wanted to work in, I started reflecting a lot. I realized that all the bitcoin companies I applied at wanted proof of work, and I had none. Almost all of them asked for some way you've given to the bitcoin community; some reputation. I needed to grow the meetup beyond my sister and my one very supportive friend. I started attending a local(ish) BitDevs, which gave me direct question access to some very smart people, and meeting other bitcoiners for the first time.
Ask Questions
I read this Discreet Log post and decided it would be a good topic to focus on. I had a used S9 and had heard of stratum v2 so it made sense, but I had no idea what this fedimint thing was. They had a Discord. It was pretty active. I could lurk in voice and listen to people, eventually asking questions. I could find all the podcasts on the topic. Comment on a PR with a question or suggestion. Always questions. Pick a low priority ticket and make a PR. Fail a few PRs, but get feedback and ask more questions. Start to learn how to fix said ticket. Dig through code. Run code. Get active. The teams that are building in the open will usually openly solicit for volunteers or invite open discussion. I heard things similar on many random dev calls with builders building. This is when you can ask pointed questions about what you're studying with people that are more familiar with the project. Ask clarifying questions about things you don't understand.
The technical focused podcasts have great bitcoin content. They help build context for the whole ecosystem. So by the time you've heard CTV three times, you know the general vibe of the topic and what it's related to.
be active
make changes that need to be made. when i was asked to help with a specific part of the project, i agreed and set to the task. you don't have to ask for permission, but ask for feedback and consultation. working on an effort within the project got me 1:1 with people that were working in bitcoin already. you learn the different ways people work on bitcoin, its not all dev work, but there's plenty of that. pick a way and make a plan. get feedback. follow up on it and treat it like work. it's proof of work. refactor the plan and execute.
rinse and repeat. ymmv.
this seemed to be a good way to share with others what've I've learned on my journey to an opensats grant award. i hope you found it informative or enjoyable, or both.
go learn. go ask.
thank you for reading.