My 5-Year Journey with Ballerina: Embracing Open Source from Day 01
The Beginning of Something Awesome
In 2018, fresh out of university, I stepped into WSO2 as just another newcomer to the industry. Few months later, I was privileged to join this this new project called “Ballerina” and from the moment I stepped in, I sensed something unique about this concept.
Ballerina is a programming language specifically designed to overcome the fallacies of integration, and it was the time I realised how powerful this idea can be for the integration world.
Little did I know, this would mark the beginning of an exciting journey into the world of open source!
The Joy of Contributions
When I joined this project, the language was in its initial stages (pre 1.0), and various new components of the Ballerina platform were actively in development. Also, the pure open-source nature of the Ballerina language project created an environment for experimentation, learning, and active contribution. I believe these were the reasons why what I started as my career quickly transformed into a genuine passion of mine.
A significant aspect of this journey has been the opportunity to spearhead several projects that have become integral parts of the Ballerina ecosystem. These initiatives weren’t just about writing code, but about solving real-world problems and improving the developer experience. Notable contributions include:
- Ballerina IntelliJ plugin for a seamless development experience
- Ballerina debugger for enhanced troubleshooting capabilities
- Semver validator tool ensuring versioning sanity
- LSP4IntelliJ, a universal IntelliJ client library for languages
Let Your Contributions Speak for Yourself!
Fast forward to 2023, and my GitHub contribution graph reads like a diary of the past 5 years. As you’ll observe, it has consistently remained nearly filled with very few blank slots.
From my perspective, this consistency is more than just a routine; it mirrors a true passion of actively participating in and contributing to the open-source community. So for me, this is nothing but a proof of my enjoyment and deep engagement with the open-source culture, particularly my rewarding journey with Ballerina.
Key Learnings from Half-a-Decade
My 5-year journey with the Ballerina language team has been nothing short of transformative. From a novice developer to a seasoned technical lead, engineering manager and open-source enthusiast, this experience has been a continuous cycle of learning, contributing, and growing.
If you ask me, here are the key learnings during my 5-year journey in the industry and the open source culture:
- Teamwork is Key 👥: Open source is all about working together. Embrace different ideas, welcome feedback, and remember that the best solutions come from different perspectives working together.
- Feedback is Your Friend 🔄: Feedback isn’t something to be afraid of; it helps you get better. Embrace feedback, whether it’s from code reviews or community discussions. It’s your ticket to becoming a better coder.
- Failures are Stepping Stones 🚀: Not every coding attempt will be perfect, and that’s totally fine. Treat failure as a chance to learn and get better. The best ideas often come from figuring out what doesn’t work.
- Quality Over Quantity 🌟: It’s not about the number of lines of code but the impact your code makes. Focus on writing clean, maintainable, and well-documented code. Quality contributions stand the test of time.
- Don’t Fear Challenges 💪: Every bug, every roadblock, and every challenge is an opportunity to grow. Don’t shy away from difficulties; instead, view them as stepping stones to becoming a better developer.
- Celebrate Wins and Take Breaks 🎉: Whether it’s five years or five weeks, celebrate your achievements. Take breaks when you need them, recharge, and come back with a fresh perspective. Your well-being matters.
Reflecting on my journey with Ballerina and open source, I’m grateful for all the experiences, skills, and lessons I’ve acquired during these 5 years. And I genuinely believe that open source is an inclusive space for anyone eager to contribute to something amazing.
Here’s to more years of learning, coding, and embracing new challenges ahead! 💫
