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I authored a project. Basically a framework and API, that gestated for over a decade. During that time, I managed it pretty much alone.

It was difficult.

I could have easily considered it "mine, all mine!". When I first started handing it over to the team that now runs it, I considered being a BDFL, but found out that I couldn't let go, while still in the mix.

So I walked away from it. I still chip in a peanut gallery comment on Slack, every now and then, but otherwise, I'm history.

Best decision I ever made. The new team took it to the next level.



That's great, but it doesn't always turn out that way.

Twice now I've started open source projects, got them to varying levels of success, handed over to another maintainer, and watched it turn to shit. Luck of the draw, I think :-(


It's a matter of motivation.

It's a long story, but part of the reason that it took ten years, was because I wasn't gonna hand it over to "just anybody."




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