Sustain

Episode 287: Alan Rubin on MaveDB

Guest Alan Rubin Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes On this episode of Sustain, Richard Littauer sits down with computational biologist Alan Rubin to explore how open source software supports scientific research, clinical genetics, and cancer-related data infrastructure. Their conversation centers on MaveDB, a project that began as a way to organize hard-to-find variant data from research papers and has since evolved into a valuable resource for both scientists and clinicians. Along the way, they discuss infrastructure funding, research software sustainability, and why open source communities and academic researchers have a lot to learn from each other. Press download now to hear more! [00:01:24] Alan explains his role leading a research group focused on genomics, cancer medicine, and improving patient care through genetics. [00:02:46] We learn more about what MaveDB does. [00:06:52] Alan details why a database was needed. [00:08:26] Alan shares how the project grew out of collaboration, PyCon AU inspiration, Django, and Python tooling that let a small team build a practical research database. [00:11:54] There’s a discussion on the infrastructure funding problem and Alan explains a major theme is how hard it is to fund scientific infrastructure, since most grants favor new discoveries rather than maintaining shared tools and databases. [00:17:55] The project took a major turn when clinical geneticists began using the data to interpret patient variants, pushing the team to rethink the interface and user needs. [00:21:13] Alan describes the new clinical-facing interface, Mave for Medicine (MaveMD), designed to help doctors evaluate specific variants for diagnosis and treatment decisions. [00:22:02] Alan talks about managing the project through a distributed team, shared responsibilities, and a role that now centers more on direction, priorities, and community than day-to-day coding. [00:23:36] They discuss why research software rarely attracts hobbyist contributors, even when the mission is compelling, and how scientific projects often function more like small product teams. [00:27:44] Alan makes the case that scientists often learn more about improving their software craft at events like PyCon than at discipline-specific conferences. [00:30:38] Alan highlights how academic software depends heavily on mature, well-documented open source tools and encourages more connection between technical communities and scientific work. [00:34:15] Find out where you can learn more about MaveDB and Alan’s work. Quotes [00:10:04] “We quite literally followed the Django Girls tutorial, but instead of a building a blog, we built a database for research scientists.” [00:12:35] “Infrastructure is something everybody wants to have it exist and nobody wants to pay for.” [00:26:08] “I have never been successful in engaging the broader open source community, despite having tried many times to contribute to this or any other scientific project.” [00:31:01] “I think people who work in OSS should be excited about the kind of stuff that their work is enabling, even if they don’t really hear about it.” Spotlight [00:35:44] Richard’s spotlight is the book, News of the Dead. [00:36:22] Alan’s spotlight is The Global Alliance for Genomics & Health (GA4GH) and all the good work they’re doing. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Alan Rubin LinkedIn Dr. Alan Rubin Website (The University of Melbourne) PyCon AU 2026, Brisbane, August 26-30 Sustain Podcast- Episode 286: Jack Skinner of PyCon AU and Regional Confs Sustain Podcast- Episode 176: Maintainer Month with Russell Keith-Magee & Uriel Ofir Django Girls PyCon AU 2023-“Building a biological database with Python”- Alan Rubin (YouTube) Sustain Podcast- Episode 135: Tracy Hinds on Node.js’s CommComm and PMs in Open Source Sustain Podcast-Episode 190: Karen Sandler on Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) Original database paper (Pub Med) Database update paper (Pub Med) Preprint on the clinician-oriented interface Variant scoring tools for deep mutational scanning (Pub Med) Atlas of Variant Effects MaveDB News of the Dead Global Alliance for Geonomics & Health (GA4GH) Sponsor CURIOSS Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Alan Rubin.Support Sustain

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Episode 286: Jack Skinner of PyCon AU and Regional Confs

Mar 1300:40:05Tap to summarize

Guest Jack Skinner Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer talks with Jack Skinner, PyCon AU organizer and freelance consultant/fractional CTO, to explore why regional conferences matter so much to the long-term health of open source communities. Their conversation looks at how events like PyCon AU do far more than host talks, they create local connections, nurture future leaders, support first-time speakers, and help sustain the broader Python ecosystem in ways that global conferences alone cannot. Drawing on Jack’s experience as a conference organizer and community builder, the episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of running volunteer-led events, from sponsorships and logistics to burnout, accessibility, and building a stronger pipeline of future organizers. Press download now to hear more! [00:01:49] Jack shares his background and how he got involved in Python and event organizing. [00:02:48] We hear about Jack’s first PyCon AU experience. [00:04:14] Jack describes PyCon AU, who it serves, and how it’s changed after COVID. [00:07:01] Why do regional conferences exist alongside PyCon US? [00:09:24] Jack talks about what makes Australia and New Zealand different as conference communities. [00:10:55] PyCon AU’s attendance goals are discussed as Jack mentions his big goal is to bring attendance back to roughly 500-600 people, restoring pre-pandemic strength. [00:12:04] The discussion turns to conference structure: tracks, workshops, and sponsor interest, with Jack emphasizing sponsorship is not just about money. [00:14:54] Richard asks how organizers know whether conferences help people learn, connect, or build community. Jack explains how they’re measuring community impact beyond “good vibes” and rebuilding local Python communities. [00:17:34] Jack explains PyCon AU is trying to build a future organizer pipeline by letting people observe how conference planning works and introduces his proposed program/project, “shadow team.” [00:19:09] Another project Jack is working on is documenting the behind-the-scenes work of organizing the conference through long-form writing. [00:20:38] Jack admits he feels imposter syndrome because he’s not paid to write Python, his contribution is centered on the sociotechnical side. [00:23:20] PyCon AU’s independence from government and institutions is discussed, and how the conference community is globally aware, even if locally focused. [00:27:05] Call for proposals details, deadline is March 29, and the in-person focus for this year’s event are mentioned. Richard discusses the return of the academic track and Jack details more info on poster sessions and workshop submissions. [00:32:08] Volunteering and buying tickets are explained and why you should buy tickets early if you can. Quotes [00:32:20] “Volunteering is an awesome way to be involved in PyCon.” Spotlight [00:35:16] Richard’s spotlight is two of his lecturers at the University of Edinburgh, Simon Kirby and Andrew Smith, who introduced him to Python. [00:35:55] Jack’s spotlight is two companion projects: pretalx and pretix. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Jack Skinner LinkedIn Jack Skinner Website PyCon AU, August 26-30, 2026, Brisbane PyCon AU News & Updates Sustain Podcast-Episode 75: Deb Nicholson on the OSI, the future of open source, and SeaGL Sustain Podcast-Episode 137: A How-to Guide for Contributing to Open Source as an Employee, for Corporations (featuring Deb Nicholson as Host) Guido van Rossum Whale song shows language-like statistical structure Simon Kirby (co-lead author) pretalx (GitHub) pretix (GitHub) Sponsor CURIOSS Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Jack Skinner.Support Sustain

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Episode 285: Miranda Heath on Altruism & Burnout in Open Source

Mar 600:44:11Tap to summarize

Guest Miranda Heath Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Richard Littauer is joined by PhD student Miranda Heath to discuss her research on altruism and maintainer burnout in open source, and specifically her report on burn out in open source maintainers. Miranda shares insights from her study on what motivates people to act altruistically and how these behaviors manifest in open source communities. She delves into the common issues maintainers face, such as changing motivations and the systemic challenges that contribute to burnout. Drawing on examples from her research, including kidney donors and open source maintainers, Miranda explores how community support, mentorship, and better funding can help mitigate burnout. The conversation also touches on the unique challenges neurodiverse maintainers face and the importance of creating supportive environments for them. Press download now to hear more! [00:00:44] Richard introduces Miranda Heath, whom he met at FOSDEM, and she’s built a major report on maintainer burnout. [00:02:04] Miranda studies what motivates people to benefit others, how “altruism” is often framed too narrowly, and she points out neglected forms. [00:03:40] Richard asks about a name for the type of altruism, and they land on “collective altruism” as a useful label for shared/commons based giving. [00:04:25] Miranda explains her work on anonymous kidney donors and the key insight from the kidney donors is that altruism can be mundane. [00:06:45] Looking at the motivations of open source developers, Miranda sees overlap between altruistic impulses and open source and contrasts this with academia’s paywall-driven publication system. [00:08:36] They discuss how motivation changes which leads to burnout risk, and Richard brings up Miranda’s maintainer burnout report and what it was based on. [00:10:13] Miranda describes how this report started and what she wanted to change. [00:13:21] What are some systematic solutions for burnout? Miranda argues “money vs people” is a false dichotomy: respecting maintainers includes making it possible to live. Burnout is worsened by “double shift” dynamics and “Labor of love is still labor.” [00:16:18] Richard notes many maintainers are paid through employers, Miranda talks about paid maintainer roles still carry burnout risk, and some research done by Robert Karasek in the late 70’s. [00:20:14] Miranda draws from social psychology: communities run on group norms (often unspoken), and emphasizes we need to make beneficiaries feel part of the in-group, so they adopt norms. [00:22:36] Richard highlights the Open Source Pledge and policy approaches like the Cyber Resilience Act, and Miranda notes policy could reduce autonomy and increase burnout if rigid. [00:26:22] What happens after burnout? Miranda believes we should prevent unwanted exits, normalize “sunsetting” conversations, and have a plan to wind down a project. [00:31:17] There’s a discussion on how burnout shouldn’t equal personal failure, and an example is brought up with the Tailwind CSS tensions. [00:35:19] Miranda stresses the importance of mentorship for community roles to be filled, Richard cites Abby Cabunoc’s “3 C’s” for mentor-worthy contributors, and Miranda mentions the concept of “Mentorship Triangle.” [00:38:03] Find out where you can follow Miranda and her work online. [00:38:27] We wrap with Miranda sharing there’s an important gap with neurodivergence and autistic burnout and how more research needs to be done. Quotes [00:15:13] “Maintenance work is work, but a labor of love is labor.” Spotlight [00:40:47] Richard's spotlight is the klezmer band, OCH VEY. [00:41:33] Miranda’s spotlight is the puzzle game, TR-49. Links SustainOSS podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Miranda Heath Website Sentry Open Source Pledge Job Demands, Job Decision Latitude, and Mental Strain: Implications for Job Redesign by Robert Karasek, Jr. (Sage Publications) Cyber Resilience Act Abby Cabunoc Mayes-The Synthetic Senior: Rethinking Free Software Mentorship in the AI Era (FOSDEM 2026 talk video) OCH VEY Instagram TR-49 Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guest: Miranda Heath.Support Sustain

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Episode 284: Devconnect 2025 with Trent Van Epps

Feb 2700:28:29Tap to summarize

Guest Trent Van Epps Panelists Eriol Fox | Victory Brown Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Eriol Fox and co-host Victory Brown are at the Devconnect Conference in Buenos Aires with Trent Van Epps, an organizer of Protocol Guild and member of the Ethereum Foundation. They discuss the vital role of Protocol Guild in funding core protocol developers, addressing systemic issues of under-compensation in open-source projects. Trent also explores the similarities and differences between funding in the open-source community and the Ethereum ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of collective representation and the unique financial structures of blockchain technology. The conversation highlights the necessity of diversity and inclusion within the Ethereum community and shares insights on the impact of adverse regulatory pressures and funding challenges. Press download now! [00:00:29] Trent explains Protocol Guild and he connects Guild work to his EF role coordinating network upgrades and ensuring stable funding and continuity. [00:02:35] Trent tells us why core contributors are under compensated and notes there’s a “hot ball of money” problem. [00:05:21] Eriol and Trent discuss discomfort around money in open source. the myth of pure altruism, and the reality that “you can’t eat your code.” [00:06:28] What can open source learn from Ethereum? Trent points to classic charitable giving practices and highlights Ethereum’s difference and stresses that funding can be used as a political lever. [00:11:07] Trent contrasts different contributor needs and points out diversity/heterogeneity as essential to Ethereum’s robustness and security. [00:15:40] Trent describes tight social bonds in Ethereum formed by “youth of the ecosystem” and shared regulatory pressures, which push the community to cooperate defensively, and he talks about how Protocol Guild operates like a loose union/syndicate. [00:20:03] He outlines their funding vehicle called the 1% Pledge. [00:22:07] Trent acknowledges high-profile scams and speculative excess get media attention, overshadowing serious work, like the technological waves with railroads. He points to Argentina, Kenya, and other places with weak institutions. [00:24:59] Eriol closes the discussion with a call to widen your bubble. [00:26:08] Trent’s project spotlight is ZKP2P and a great book by Benjamin Birkinbine. Also, he shares where you can find him on the internet. Links podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox X Victory Brown X Trent Van Epps X Devconnect- 2025, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 17-22 November Ethereum Ethereum Foundation Protocol Guild ZKP2P Incorporating the Digital Commons: Corporate Involvement in Free and Open Source Software by Benjamin J. Birkinbine Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Logistical support by Tina Arboleda from Digital Savvies Special Guest: Trent Van Epps.Support Sustain

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Episode 283: Devconnect 2025 with Nuno Loureiro

Feb 2000:17:33Tap to summarize

Guest Nuno Loureiro Panelists Eriol Fox | Victory Brown Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Eriol Fox and co-host Victory Brown are live with Nuno Loureiro, Lead Designer at the Ethereum Foundation, at Devconnect Conference in Buenos Aires. Nuno shares his journey in digital design and discusses his role in focusing on ethereum.org. He highlights the challenges of designing for open source platforms, including the difficulty of onboarding and collaborating with designers. He also touches on UX challenges in the context of blockchain technology, emphasizing the importance of trust and design for mass adoption of open source tools. The discussion further explores how the Ethereum Foundation engages with the community for design feedback and the decentralized nature of project narratives. The episode concludes with Nuno spotlighting Penpot, a tool he believes is changing the landscape design. Hit download now to hear more! [00:00:34] Nuno shares his background in digital and product design and joining Ethereum Foundation to focus on Ethereum.org as a learning portal. [00:02:13] He shares the biggest design challenges at the Ethereum Foundation starting out with a major challenge which was opening a design system to open source collaboration. [00:04:08] Eriol asks how good design and usability relate to sustainable open source. Nuno argues UX is the main blocker for mass adoption of open source tools and uses tools like GIMP as an example. [00:05:00] Victory asks how Nuno brings more designers into the ecosystem and elevates design conversations. He admits he’s “not doing enough” and notes how hard it is to balance paid work with open source contributions and critiques designers, including himself, as poor collaborators compared with developers. [00:06:27] Eriol reflects on how both coders and designers get deeply attached to their work, and notes that vulnerability and openness to critique are hard but necessary for sustainability of open source to grow. [00:07:54] Eriol brings up Vitalik’s talk, Founder of Ethereum, at Funding the Commons, where he emphasized reliability as critical to UX and poses a question to Nuno. He explains what Ethereum Foundation’s current “three mantras” are. [00:11:49] A question is brought up about how design decisions for new features are made inside Ethereum and what others can learn. Nuno clarifies the Ethereum Foundation does not own the protocol or roadmap and is a community based approach. [00:13:26] Victory asks how Ethereum gathers UX feedback from users. Nuno says they rely heavily on third party projects that do their own UX research. [00:14:43] Nuno spotlights Penpot, an open source design tool he uses and believes is changing the design landscape. Links podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox X Victory Brown X Nuno Loureiro X Nuno Loureiro Website Ethereum Foundation Ethereum Devconnect- 2025, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 17-22 November Funding the Commons Penpot Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Logistical support by Tina Arboleda from Digital Savvies Special Guest: Nuno Loureiro.Support Sustain

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Episode 282: Devconnect 2025 with Lucas Fada

Feb 1300:21:13Tap to summarize

Guest Lucas Fada Panelists Eriol Fox | Victory Brown Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Eriol Fox and co-host Victory Brown speak with Lucas Fada, the head of partnerships at Drips Network. Lucas shares insights from his over a decade of experience in early-stage startups, focusing on making open source software projects financially sustainable through strategic partnerships. They discuss the methodologies Lucas employs to secure funding for open source projects, the types of projects that attract funders, and how Drips Network aims to create a 'super app' for funding open source builders. Lucas also provides valuable advice for open source projects on becoming more visible to funders and highlights the essential role of ecosystems like Web3 in supporting open source. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of moving beyond traditional philanthropy and crisis management in open source funding. Press download to hear more! [00:00:23] Eriol introduces Lucas, and he explains what doing partnerships for Drips Network entails. [00:01:50] Before approaching funders, Lucas shares that Drips looks for people or teams that have already funded OSS or spoken publicly about it. [00:02:56] Victory wonders what kind of projects funders are interested in. Lucas explains funders tend to focus on high-visibility libraries rather than deep dependencies and goes into funder motivations to “give back” vs ecosystem needs. [00:05:17] How can projects become more fundable? Lucas dives into this in two parts and he announces they are building a ‘super app’ for funding open source builders. [00:07:49] Lucas elaborates on what package registries could do. One example he mentions is that Drips launched a “Fund Me” button for GitHub repos, like “Buy Me a Coffee” but crypto-based and fee free. [00:09:19] Eriol notes that many projects associate marketing with proprietary, corporate culture, but marketing is really just communication. Lucas suggests the community could develop a shared marketing team that helps projects share their story. [00:10:53] What can funders do proactively to support open source and critical digital infrastructure? Lucas’ top advice is: Talk to your own developers. [00:13:07] Why Web3? It’s one of the most OSS-driven spaces; blockchains are typically open source and modular. Lucas wants OSS funding to move out of philanthropy/emergency rescue mode into something more strategic and ongoing. [00:15:25] Lucas shares how they are making OSS maintenance a viable elaborating on how Drips is building funding pathways for different stages of an OSS career: Dependency funding, Direct grants, Retroactive grants, and Drips Wave. [00:17:58] Drips is working with UNICEF to create funding mechanisms for several high use Digital Public Goods and how governments in the global south could encourage youth to join open source bounties. Eriol acknowledges skepticism about bounties and highlights their benefits. [00:19:54] Find out where you can follow Lucas on the internet and he shares his project spotlight, Ethers.js and its maintainer, Richard “ricmoo” Moore. Links podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox X Victory Brown X Lucas Fada X Lucas Fada LinkedIn Drips Drips Discord Devconnect- 2025, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 17-22 November Ethereum Ethereum Foundation Ethers.js Web3 Richard “ricmoo” Moore Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Logistical support by Tina Arboleda from Digital Savvies Special Guest: Lucas Fada.Support Sustain

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Episode 281: Devconnect 2025 with Devansh Mehta

Feb 600:23:07Tap to summarize

Guest Devansh Mehta Panelists Eriol Fox | Victory Brown Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Eriol Fox and co-host Victory Brown are at Devconnect Conference in Buenos Aires with Devansh Mehta from the Ethereum Foundation, to unpack one of the hardest problems in open source: how to fund the public good infrastructure that everything else depends on fairly, ethically, and at scale. They dig into quadratic funding, “credit assignment,” dependency graphs, Goodhart’s Law, and how AI can help, without taking over. Also, why open networks still struggle to compete with corporations and what new funding mechanisms like Deep Funding are trying to change. Hit download now to hear more! [00:00:22] Eriol introduces Devansh, and he tells us about the work he does at Ethereum Foundation. [00:01:32] He explains two core problems: Funding loop and Credit assignment. [00:03:57] He identifies two failure modes: Popularity contests and lobbying & favoritism and shares why he found quadratic funding very liberating. [00:05:48] Devansh uses Bitcoin as a simple model: miners get all the credit for a block and the new BTC is the funding loop. [00:06:51] He defines public goods as value created minus value captured and argues the real challenge is linking revenue centers to cost centers. [00:09:19] Devansh proposes a 3-step model for connecting revenue and OSS dependencies: Build an accurate dependency graph, weight the edges, capturing “how much value I get from you, and send money into one address and let it flow through the graph by weights. [00:11:28] Goodhart’s law is explained, and Devansh warns metrics like stars/downloads break once tied directly to money and he gives some solutions to use non-deterministic AI and human judgement. [00:16:04] Victory wonders how we can make this more ethical. Devansh notes that experts have the biggest conflict of interest, and he introduces cryptographic ideas: Confusion and Diffusion. [00:18:27] Devansh analogizes funding mechanisms are like recommendation algorithms and critiques the current RFP/grant system common in non-Web3 open source. [00:21:01] Find out where you can follow Devansh on the internet and he shares the Ethereum Foundation believes in the “policy of subtraction” and highlights some key partners in deep funding: Seer, Pond, and Drips. Links podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox X Victory Brown X Devansh Mehta X Deep Funding Deep Funding GG24 Web3 Tooling and Infra Round Agent Allocators Devconnect- 2025, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 17-22 November Ethereum Ethereum Foundation Ethereum Foundation Blog Goodhart’s law Seer Pond Drips Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Logistical support by Tina Arboleda from Digital Savvies Special Guest: Devansh Mehta.Support Sustain

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Episode 280: Devconnect 2025 with Nixo Rokish

Jan 3000:19:12Tap to summarize

Guest Nixo Rokish Panelists Eriol Fox | Victory Brown Show Notes In this live episode of Sustain from Devconnect in Buenos Aires, host Eriol Fox and co-host Victory Brown sit down with Nixo Rokish, Protocol Support Lead at the Ethereum Foundation, to unpack how Ethereum’s deeply decentralized governance actually works in practice. They dive into the nuts and bolts of coordinating 100+ core contributors across 11+ client teams, why neutral facilitation is crucial, how Ethereum’s upgrade and EIP process avoids “single maintainer” failure modes, and what lessons other open source projects can steal to make their own governance more sustainable. The episode concludes with Nixo promoting the EthStaker project focused on decentralized staking. Hit download now to hear more! [00:00:38] Nixo explains Ethereum as a rare example of truly decentralized governance and she describes the Protocol Coordination team. [00:02:25] Why does this governance model matter for sustainability? Nixo says most projects rely on 1-2 key people and if they leave, the project can stall or die. [00:04:09] Eriol asks if anyone resists this decentralized, community-led governance model. Nixo says active participants are mostly enthusiastic about the process and the main friction from VCs wanting more control and social media “ship faster” pressure. [00:05:51] Eriol talks about money and influence entering open source projects and Nixo shares that core devs are motivated by building systems for many people, not concentrating profit. [00:08:00] Nixo walks through the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) process. [00:11:38] Victory asks how they manage consensus with so many people and companies involved. Nixo explains 11+ client times, only one is within EF, other are independent companies/nonprofits. [00:13:36] Eriol reacts to how impressive it is that devs can reach consensus via facilitation and asks Nixo for advice for smaller open source projects that want to adopt similar practices. Her key advice is to have a neutral facilitator. [00:16:13] Nixo shares where you can find her on the internet and she spotlights a project she used to work at called, EthStaker. Links podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox X Victory Brown X Nixo Rokish X Devconnect-Buenos Aires, Argentina 2025, 17-22 November Ethereum Ethereum Foundation Institute of Forecasting & Planning EthStaker Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Logistical support by Tina Arboleda from Digital Savvies Special Guest: Nixo Rokish.Support Sustain

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Episode 279: Devconnect 2025 with Shubhranshu Choudhary

Jan 2300:23:58Tap to summarize

Guest Shubhranshu Choudhary Panelists Eriol Fox | Victory Brown Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Eriol Fox and co-host Victory Brown speak with Shubhranshu “Shu” Choudhary. They delve into his work with Democratic Media and its connections to open source technology. Shu discusses the aristocratic nature of current media, the importance of democratizing journalism, and the potential role of open source and decentralized technologies like Web3 and blockchain in making media more inclusive and representative. He shares his vision of community-led journalism, the challenges of sustaining independent media, and the importance of technology in addressing these issues. The conversation highlights the need for democratic platforms, the role of AI in reducing costs, and the potential for blockchain to create financially independent media. Shu also touches on the trust and inclusivity required for effective community journalism. Press download to hear more! [00:00:33] Shu tells us what his work involves and how it connects to open source software. [00:02:52] Eriol asks why Shu finds open source, Web3, and decentralization critical to the democratic media work that he’s doing. He explains that media should be commons and inclusive, not controlled by media owners. [00:05:04] Shu details the challenges and solutions in media representation. He envisions a “News Commission” (like an Election Commission) where everyone can submit stories and AI’s role. [00:09:27] Eriol recalls a Ugandan project she worked on where farmers reclaimed radio to broadcast their issues. Shu admits he previously associated Web3 only with scammers, but DevConnect showed him serious, positive work. Also, he sees potential for AI and Web3 joint platforms and explains designing for the “last person first.” [00:16:18] Victory asks about trust in tech, given risks to Shu and his family and wider distrust of Web3/open source. Shu’s trust is multi-layered, during conflict, anonymity is crucial, but in calmer times, trust also means community control. [00:20:02] Eriol and Victory connect Shu’s ideas to open source governance and community driven tool design. Shu points out that voters/reporters must not be paid per story but should be compensated through impact. [00:22:19] Find out where to follow Shu and his work on the internet and he stresses this is a humanity-wide challenge, not just a journalists’ one. Links podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox X Victory Brown X Devconnect- 2025, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 17-22 November Ethereum Ethereum Foundation Shubhranshu Choudhary LinkedIn CGNet Swara Democratic Media Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Logistical support by Tina Arboleda from Digital Savvies Special Guest: Shubhranshu Choudhary.Support Sustain

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Episode 278: Devconnect 2025 with Mário Havel

Jan 1600:25:06Tap to summarize

Guest Mário Havel Panelists Eriol Fox | Victory Brown Show Notes In this episode of Sustain, host Eriol Fox and co-host Victory Brown are live at Devconnect Conference in Buenos Aires, with Mário Havel, protocol support at the Ethereum Foundation and co-founder of the Bordel Hackerspace in Prague. Mário shares his experience working in protocol support, contributing to the evolution and scalability of Ethereum. He dives into the significance of the Hackerspace 'Bordell' in Prague, discussing its role in fostering a creative and collaborative community focused on free and open source software. Mário also highlights the philosophical underpinnings of free software, emphasizing user freedom and security, and discusses the impact of corporate involvement in open source projects, the complexities of sustaining such initiatives, and the innovative “crowd-loaning” model used to fund their Hackerspace through Ethereum. Hit download now to hear more! [00:00:40] Mário explains working at the Ethereum Foundation, his role on the protocol support team, the Ethereum Protocol Fellowship, and he introduces Bordel Hackerspace as a community space for hackers, makers, and artists. [00:04:08] He elaborates on the Hackerspace which is explicitly free and open source software users and contributors and his free and open source software philosophy. Eriol reflects on her own journey learning what “free” really means in this context. [00:07:54] Mário dives into how scalability, security, and new devs/fellowships link directly to sustainability. [00:12:48] Mário discusses corporate influence on free/open source. He emphasizes the need for more neutral, community driven structures so projects can accept money without losing independence. [00:15:25] Eriol contrasts joyful, playful hacker culture with the pressure many projects feel to “look corporate” to survive. Mário shares his personal stance: he avoids proprietary software and doesn’t use banks or KYC, preferring free/open monetary systems like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero. [00:17:41] Mário details “crowdloaning” smart contracts they built on Ethereum. Eriol suggests many open source projects doing individual donation drives could learn from this crowdloaning model. [00:21:10] Find out where you can follow Mário and the projects on the internet, and he spotlights the project GrapheneOS, a highly secure, privacy-respecting, easy-to-use mobile operating system. Links podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox X Victory Brown X Mário Havel X Mário Havel GitHub Devconnect- 2025, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 17-22 November Ethereum Ethereum Foundation Ethereum Foundation Blog Bordel Hackerspace Bordel Hackerspace First Ever Pure DeFi Mortgage/Contribute to the crowdloan GrapheneOS Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Logistical support by Tina Arboleda from Digital Savvies Special Guest: Mário Havel.Support Sustain

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