#116 – Jonathan Desrosiers on the Challenges and Rewards of Contributing to WordPress

On the podcast today we have Jonathan Desrosier. Jonathan has been a contributor to WordPress Core for many years, and a WordPress Core committer since 2018. Jonathan currently works as a Senior Software Engineer at Bluehost, where he is sponsored full-time to contribute to WordPress Core through the Five for the Future program. We talk about the challenges that come with contributing to such a large and multi-faceted project, from the intricate process of decision-making, involving many stakeholders, to the occasional moments of feeling demoralised when contributions seem like a drop in the ocean. We discuss the importance of regular contributions, and about the sustainability of the open-source ecosystem, emphasising the critical role businesses need to play, and the potential risks when key contributors step back. If you’re curious about how you can contribute, what that looks likes, and where it can take you, this episode is for you.