I didn’t learn to code from a course or a bootcamp. I learned by reading other people’s code. Open source repositories were my textbooks.
Standing on Shoulders
Every library I’ve used, every framework I’ve built on, every Stack Overflow answer that saved me hours — all of it was someone choosing to share their work. They didn’t have to. They did it anyway.
That’s the deal with open source. You take, you learn, and eventually you give back. Not because you have to, but because you understand what it meant when someone else did it for you.
What I Share
I don’t pretend my open source work is groundbreaking. It’s mostly small tools and libraries that solve specific problems:
- SpinOnSubmitJS — A tiny library for form button loading states
- LiveValidateJS — Real-time form validation
- StandUp+ — A standup tracking tool for teams
These aren’t revolutionary. But they’re useful. Someone out there is dealing with the same problem I had, and maybe my solution saves them an afternoon.
The Real Value
Open source isn’t just about code. It’s about transparency. When you open source your work, you’re saying: here’s how I think, here’s how I solve problems, here’s where I made mistakes.
That transparency builds trust. It forces you to write cleaner code because someone might actually read it. It makes you document your decisions because future-you is also a user.
Why It Matters
The best software I’ve seen was built by people who shared freely. Not because they wanted recognition, but because they believed software should be accessible.
I try to do the same. Every project I build, I ask: can this be open? If the answer is yes, it should be.
code shared > code hoarded
Most of what I know came from other people sharing their work. This is my attempt to return the favour.