Most engineers approach open source the wrong way. They write code, open a PR, and wonder why it never gets merged. Bruno Schaatsbergen, Terraform core contributor and ex-HashiCorp engineer, breaks down the real craft behind contributions that actually land, and why AI is quietly breaking the ecosystem we all depend on.

In this episode, we cover:

Why pull requests get ignored (and the counterintuitive fix)
How AI slop is killing open source from the inside
Using AI agents without losing your identity as an engineer
Why open source beats a tailored resume in today's market
How consistent contributions can reshape your entire career

If you've ever wanted to contribute to open source but didn't know where to start, this episode gives you a clear perspective from someone who's been on both sides.

Connect with Bruno:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bschaatsbergen

OUTILNE

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:04 - How Open Source Shaped My Entire Career

00:02:14 - Why I Take Pride in Every PR I Write

00:03:16 - Open Source vs Personal Projects: The Real Difference

00:04:18 - Why Your PRs Get Ignored (And How to Fix It)

00:05:41 - Know Your Audience: The Counterintuitive PR Hack

00:06:35 - Dealing With Imposter Syndrome as a Contributor

00:07:10 - Read Code Like a Writer Reads Books

00:09:31 - My First Contribution (And How It Changed My Career)

00:10:51 - Should You Contribute to Open Source Early in Your Career?

00:12:46 - The Dark Side: When Contributions Become Noise

00:13:44 - Killed With Kindness: The AI Slop Problem

00:16:17 - How Maintainers Are Fighting AI Slop

00:18:02 - How I Actually Use AI Agents in My Workflow

00:19:11 - Don't Outsource Your Thinking to AI

00:20:11 - Who's Liable for AI-Generated Code?

00:21:16 - Earned Rights: Why Trust Matters in Open Source

00:22:52 - How to Approach People at Tech Conferences

00:24:52 - Open Source Is Not a Democracy

00:26:04 - Why Open Source Beats a Tailored Resume

00:27:12 - Never Contribute With the Goal of Getting Hired

00:28:38 - The Real Reason Consistency Pays Off

00:29:30 - Admitting I'm a University Dropout

00:30:42 - Why I Haven't Contributed in Weeks (And That's Okay)

00:32:07 - The Trap of Chasing Contributor Rankings

00:34:32 - Open Source Lets You Work With Anyone in the World

00:35:52 - Final Advice: Don't Let AI Steal Your Identity

Terraform Core Contributor: How to Master Your Skills and Get Hired Without Applying

Beyond Coding