Will young developers take on key open source software?

Published On Jan 27, 2025, 7:01 PM

The article discusses the concerns among early open source software pioneers regarding the sustainability and future of projects they created, as many founders are aging and there is a perceived lack of younger developers stepping in. Daniel Stenberg, creator of the curl software, emphasizes the need for a succession plan to ensure the continuation of these vital tools. Loris Degioanni, founder of Sysdig and contributor to the Wireshark project, acknowledges the challenge of finding new contributors, especially since many key open source projects utilize C, a less popular programming language today. The article also mentions options for project continuity, such as transitioning control to foundations, but notes that these still face challenges in attracting fresh talent. Ultimately, there is hope that younger developers will find value and joy in contributing to this space, as the underlying principles of open source continue to resonate.