|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: Beyond the good first issue - How to make your contributions sustainable |
| 3 | +linkTitle: Beyond the good first issue |
| 4 | +date: 2026-03-19 |
| 5 | +author: >- |
| 6 | + [Diana Todea](https://github.com/didiViking) (VictoriaMetrics), [Elizabeth |
| 7 | + Mathew](https://github.com/Elizabeth-Mathew1) (Signoz) |
| 8 | +sig: End-User SIG |
| 9 | +cSpell:ignore: CLOTributor devex inclusivity Signoz Todea |
| 10 | +--- |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +OpenTelemetry provides the tools and standards to collect metrics, logs, and |
| 13 | +traces from applications and services. Getting started with contributions can |
| 14 | +feel overwhelming, so here are some lessons from hands-on experience. |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +Most guides explain how to find a “good first issue,” fork a repository, or join |
| 17 | +a SIG meeting. That advice is useful, and many resources cover it well. What |
| 18 | +often receives less attention is the broader context around contributing: |
| 19 | +understanding the ecosystem, navigating community dynamics, and building |
| 20 | +long-term engagement in a large open source project. |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +These aspects are especially important in OpenTelemetry, where development |
| 23 | +happens across many repositories, SIGs, and organizations. For newcomers, and |
| 24 | +particularly contributors from underrepresented backgrounds, this context can |
| 25 | +make a meaningful difference. When the unwritten rules of collaboration and |
| 26 | +decision-making are not visible, it’s harder to know where to start, participate |
| 27 | +confidently, or grow from occasional contributor to long-term member. |
| 28 | + |
| 29 | +This guide focuses on that deeper layer: going beyond the “first contribution” |
| 30 | +checklist to help you understand how the OpenTelemetry community works and find |
| 31 | +your place within it. |
| 32 | + |
| 33 | +## Context and community |
| 34 | + |
| 35 | +Before diving into a specific repository, explore the broader cloud native |
| 36 | +ecosystem. What observability tools are evolving? Where are the gaps? Which |
| 37 | +projects influence OpenTelemetry adoption? Strategic contribution starts with |
| 38 | +context. Platforms like [CLOTributor](https://clotributor.dev/) help you |
| 39 | +discover "good first issues" across cloud native projects, not just within one |
| 40 | +organization. This allows you to position yourself where your skills are most |
| 41 | +impactful. |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +Be aware that "good first issues" are highly competitive and often get claimed |
| 44 | +within hours of being posted. If you can’t find one, shift your strategy: |
| 45 | +instead of waiting for the perfect issue, become an active part of the community |
| 46 | +through SIG calls and Slack discussions, and look for ad hoc tasks where you can |
| 47 | +make yourself useful. |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +Initiatives like [Merge Forward](https://community.cncf.io/merge-forward/) |
| 50 | +support underrepresented groups in open source, providing mentorship, |
| 51 | +visibility, and access that many engineers lack in traditional corporate |
| 52 | +environments. OpenTelemetry exists within this larger CNCF ecosystem that |
| 53 | +actively works to lower participation barriers. |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +OpenTelemetry actively supports inclusive participation through mentorship |
| 56 | +programs, localization groups, and asynchronous collaboration, helping |
| 57 | +contributors from diverse backgrounds engage on equal footing. |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +Contribution becomes more meaningful when you understand how projects and |
| 60 | +communities connect. |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +## Contribution is more than code |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | + |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +Graph showing the most popular pages from the [OpenTelemetry.io](/docs/) website |
| 67 | +starting with January 2026 up to March 2026 |
| 68 | + |
| 69 | +A pull request is not just a code change. It is discussion, feedback and |
| 70 | +alignment with project direction. Maintainers, approvers, and SIG members guide |
| 71 | +priorities. Reading issue threads and PR discussions teaches you how decisions |
| 72 | +are made and where real friction exists. That awareness makes your contributions |
| 73 | +stronger. |
| 74 | + |
| 75 | +For engineers from underrepresented groups in tech, visibility and sustained |
| 76 | +participation matter. OpenTelemetry provides several ways to participate that do |
| 77 | +not depend on being in a specific location or working in a large technology |
| 78 | +company. Conversations happen across multiple community spaces, including Slack |
| 79 | +channels, SIG meetings, GitHub issues, and pull request discussions. These |
| 80 | +channels allow contributors from different geographies, professional |
| 81 | +backgrounds, and experience levels to engage with the project and share |
| 82 | +practical feedback. |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | +Participation in a global open source community is not always easy. Time zone |
| 85 | +differences mean that not everyone can attend SIG meetings live. Because of |
| 86 | +this, many technical discussions and decisions also happen asynchronously |
| 87 | +through GitHub issues, pull request reviews, and Slack threads. This allows |
| 88 | +contributors to participate when their schedules allow, even if they cannot join |
| 89 | +synchronous meetings. |
| 90 | + |
| 91 | +Language can also be a barrier in international communities. Many OpenTelemetry |
| 92 | +contributors are non-native English speakers, and improving documentation |
| 93 | +clarity is an important part of the project. Contributors can help by |
| 94 | +simplifying complex phrasing, suggesting clearer explanations, or translating |
| 95 | +documentation into other languages. These contributions make the project more |
| 96 | +approachable for developers who are learning OpenTelemetry in different regions |
| 97 | +of the world. |
| 98 | + |
| 99 | +Localization groups are another way the community expands participation. |
| 100 | +Translating documentation, improving examples, and adapting explanations for |
| 101 | +different language communities helps observability knowledge reach developers |
| 102 | +who might otherwise struggle to access it. Localization efforts also create |
| 103 | +opportunities for contributors who may not feel comfortable starting with code |
| 104 | +contributions. |
| 105 | + |
| 106 | +These mechanisms are not perfect. Time zone differences, language barriers, and |
| 107 | +accessibility challenges still exist. But by supporting both synchronous and |
| 108 | +asynchronous collaboration, documentation improvements, and localization |
| 109 | +initiatives, the OpenTelemetry community provides multiple ways for contributors |
| 110 | +from diverse backgrounds to participate and help shape the future of |
| 111 | +observability tooling. |
| 112 | + |
| 113 | +Non-code contributions go beyond documentation and blogs. You can volunteer for |
| 114 | +note-taking in SIG meetings, help organise community events like the |
| 115 | +OpenTelemetry Community Day at KubeCon, or join the Contributor Experience SIG, |
| 116 | +which focuses on making the project better for all contributors. Some examples |
| 117 | +of these SIGs are: |
| 118 | +[**otel-sig-end-user**](https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C01RT3MSWGZ), |
| 119 | +[**otel-devex**](https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C01S42U83B2), |
| 120 | +[**opentelemetry-new-contributors**](https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C09H3MNMBQV), |
| 121 | +[**otel-contributor-experience**](https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C06TMJ2R0SK), |
| 122 | +[**otel-docs-localization**](https://cloud-native.slack.com/archives/C076RUAGP37). |
| 123 | +Your contribution track is also fluid, i.e., starting with documentation does |
| 124 | +not lock you in; you can switch to code contributions as you learn more, or vice |
| 125 | +versa. All contributions count and are welcome. |
| 126 | + |
| 127 | +If you do not see people like you in the room, that is not a signal to withdraw. |
| 128 | +It is an opportunity to participate. |
| 129 | + |
| 130 | +## Tips for beginners |
| 131 | + |
| 132 | +Start small. Documentation improvements, examples, test fixes, localization, and |
| 133 | +developer experience feedback are valuable. The codebase evolves quickly, and |
| 134 | +things change often. Do not be discouraged by that. |
| 135 | + |
| 136 | +Your background is leverage. If you are an SRE, platform engineer, backend |
| 137 | +developer, or DevRel professional, you understand production realities. You know |
| 138 | +where documentation feels unclear and where automation breaks. That insight is |
| 139 | +practical and needed. Community context matters as much as technical skill. |
| 140 | + |
| 141 | +Background also goes beyond technical roles. Non-native English speakers can |
| 142 | +spot unclear phrasing, uncommon words, or ambiguous explanations and help |
| 143 | +simplify or localize them. Contributors with accessibility needs often identify |
| 144 | +gaps in documentation, tooling, or processes, improving readability, navigation, |
| 145 | +and inclusivity. |
| 146 | + |
| 147 | +These contributions, often overlooked, are just as critical as writing code. |
| 148 | +They shape the experience for everyone in the community. In large open source |
| 149 | +communities, these perspectives matter as much as technical skill. Improving |
| 150 | +clarity, accessibility, and usability strengthens the ecosystem and enables |
| 151 | +broader participation. |
| 152 | + |
| 153 | +Let’s talk about a pain point that’s very common across most of CNCF’s Slack |
| 154 | +channels. Not being able to get feedback or PR reviews. If you do not get |
| 155 | +reviews right away, be patient. Most maintainers have a day job in addition to |
| 156 | +maintaining the project, so delays are normal. You can always post a message in |
| 157 | +the corresponding Slack channel with enough context so that anyone can pick up |
| 158 | +the review. Use this time to review any other open PRs yourself and gain a |
| 159 | +broader understanding of the codebase. |
| 160 | + |
| 161 | +## Who to talk to |
| 162 | + |
| 163 | +Engage with maintainers, SIG members, senior contributors and approvers. They |
| 164 | +shape direction and review work. Observing their discussions accelerates |
| 165 | +learning. |
| 166 | + |
| 167 | +The End User SIG actively seeks practitioner feedback. Contributing through |
| 168 | +interviews and discussions can influence the project beyond code. For many |
| 169 | +contributors, especially those outside dominant tech hubs, these channels create |
| 170 | +visibility and meaningful participation. Trust grows through consistency. |
| 171 | + |
| 172 | +## Understand the pieces |
| 173 | + |
| 174 | +OpenTelemetry includes SDKs in multiple languages, the Collector, |
| 175 | +instrumentation libraries, and protocols such as OTLP, gRPC, and HTTP. |
| 176 | +Understanding how these components interact gives you perspective. |
| 177 | + |
| 178 | +Emerging initiatives like |
| 179 | +[OTel Injector](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-injector) and |
| 180 | +[OTel Weaver](https://github.com/open-telemetry/weaver) focus on automation and |
| 181 | +simplifying telemetry configuration. Contributing to newer efforts can be |
| 182 | +impactful because you influence adoption patterns early. Another domain is |
| 183 | +language SDKs for PHP, Ruby, Erlang, and Rust, which often have only a couple of |
| 184 | +maintainers and could use extra hands. The eBPF auto-instrumentation project |
| 185 | +(OBI) is a newer frontier that allows capturing telemetry data at the kernel |
| 186 | +level without modifying application code. If you are interested in low-level |
| 187 | +programming or Linux kernel tech, this is a great place to contribute. |
| 188 | + |
| 189 | +Thinking beyond a single repository strengthens your contribution strategy. |
| 190 | + |
| 191 | +## Official documentation: A starting point |
| 192 | + |
| 193 | +The official documentation provides the foundation. Contributing to clarity, |
| 194 | +examples, and localization improves accessibility and adoption. Some specific |
| 195 | +areas are currently under-resourced and could use more contributors. |
| 196 | + |
| 197 | +[Documentation](/docs/contributing/localization/) localisation is a major need; |
| 198 | +some language communities, like Japanese and Chinese, have been very active in |
| 199 | +translating OpenTelemetry docs, but others have barely started. If you are |
| 200 | +fluent in any language besides English, you can make a big difference by |
| 201 | +contributing to localisation efforts. When documentation exists in more |
| 202 | +languages and reflects real-world use cases, it expands who can participate. |
| 203 | + |
| 204 | +## Setting up a local sandbox |
| 205 | + |
| 206 | +Hands-on exploration builds confidence. Clone repositories, run tests, modify |
| 207 | +instrumentation, and experiment with telemetry pipelines. Practical |
| 208 | +experimentation complements community engagement. |
| 209 | + |
| 210 | +## Expanding your knowledge |
| 211 | + |
| 212 | +Structured learning deepens understanding. CNCF learning resources and courses |
| 213 | +offer curated materials that guide learners through these concepts step by step. |
| 214 | +In addition, the Linux Foundation |
| 215 | +[OpenTelemetry Certification](https://training.linuxfoundation.org/certification/opentelemetry-certified-associate-otca/) |
| 216 | +provides a practical way to validate your knowledge while reinforcing core ideas |
| 217 | +about telemetry pipelines, instrumentation strategies, and observability |
| 218 | +architecture across the ecosystem. Learning, contributing, and teaching |
| 219 | +reinforce each other. |
| 220 | + |
| 221 | +## Making contributions sustainable — an example |
| 222 | + |
| 223 | +Starting is simple. Staying engaged is what creates impact. |
| 224 | + |
| 225 | +Sustainable contribution means choosing a focus area, attending SIG meetings, |
| 226 | +reviewing work, mentoring newcomers, and sharing knowledge. It is about |
| 227 | +consistency, not one large code change. Many contributors drop off after a |
| 228 | +couple of contributions. Aligning your contributions with what excites you helps |
| 229 | +build a realistic routine: weekly or monthly contributions, attending SIG |
| 230 | +meetings (even as a listener), tracking GitHub updates, and staying active in |
| 231 | +Slack. Curiosity and learning drive consistent engagement. |
| 232 | + |
| 233 | +Long-term consistency builds credibility and influence, especially for |
| 234 | +underrepresented contributors, where visibility matters. |
| 235 | + |
| 236 | +OpenTelemetry offers a visible and structured pathway for growth. For engineers |
| 237 | +from underrepresented groups, this matters. It provides credibility, influence, |
| 238 | +and community recognition beyond traditional corporate hierarchies. |
| 239 | + |
| 240 | +You do not need to be perfect. You need to participate. Be curious. Think |
| 241 | +ecosystem. Use tools like CLOTributor to explore opportunities. Connect with |
| 242 | +initiatives like Merge Forward if you need support. Diversify how you contribute |
| 243 | +and stay consistent. |
| 244 | + |
| 245 | +The ROI of contributing can also be significant, both personally and |
| 246 | +professionally. You will gain a deeper understanding of how instrumentation, |
| 247 | +tracing, and metrics work under the hood. You will interact with engineers from |
| 248 | +companies across the industry, and these connections can lead to job |
| 249 | +opportunities and collaborations. Many contributors also find fulfillment in |
| 250 | +paying it forward to the open source community that has benefited them. |
| 251 | + |
| 252 | +OpenTelemetry is a global collaboration. There is space in it for you. |
![otelbot[bot]](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/in/1130599?v=4&size=40){kind=avatar}
0 commit comments