<p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>In this episode, we cover:</p><ul><li>Why pull requests get ignored (and the counterintuitive fix)</li><li>How AI slop is killing open source from the inside</li><li>Using AI agents without losing your identity as an engineer</li><li>Why open source beats a tailored resume in today's market</li><li>How consistent contributions can reshape your entire career</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>Connect with Bruno:<br /><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bschaatsbergen" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/bschaatsbergen</a></p><p><br /></p><p>OUTILNE</p><p>00:00:00 - Intro</p><p>00:01:04 - How Open Source Shaped My Entire Career</p><p>00:02:14 - Why I Take Pride in Every PR I Write</p><p>00:03:16 - Open Source vs Personal Projects: The Real Difference</p><p>00:04:18 - Why Your PRs Get Ignored (And How to Fix It)</p><p>00:05:41 - Know Your Audience: The Counterintuitive PR Hack</p><p>00:06:35 - Dealing With Imposter Syndrome as a Contributor</p><p>00:07:10 - Read Code Like a Writer Reads Books</p><p>00:09:31 - My First Contribution (And How It Changed My Career)</p><p>00:10:51 - Should You Contribute to Open Source Early in Your Career?</p><p>00:12:46 - The Dark Side: When Contributions Become Noise</p><p>00:13:44 - Killed With Kindness: The AI Slop Problem</p><p>00:16:17 - How Maintainers Are Fighting AI Slop</p><p>00:18:02 - How I Actually Use AI Agents in My Workflow</p><p>00:19:11 - Don't Outsource Your Thinking to AI</p><p>00:20:11 - Who's Liable for AI-Generated Code?</p><p>00:21:16 - Earned Rights: Why Trust Matters in Open Source</p><p>00:22:52 - How to Approach People at Tech Conferences</p><p>00:24:52 - Open Source Is Not a Democracy</p><p>00:26:04 - Why Open Source Beats a Tailored Resume</p><p>00:27:12 - Never Contribute With the Goal of Getting Hired</p><p>00:28:38 - The Real Reason Consistency Pays Off</p><p>00:29:30 - Admitting I'm a University Dropout</p><p>00:30:42 - Why I Haven't Contributed in Weeks (And That's Okay)</p><p>00:32:07 - The Trap of Chasing Contributor Rankings</p><p>00:34:32 - Open Source Lets You Work With Anyone in the World</p><p>00:35:52 - Final Advice: Don't Let AI Steal Your Identity</p>