Ask HN: Best practices for starting and structuring an Open Source project?

[jwiley]

I'm considering starting an open source project. Initially this would be a set of language specific modules (python and javascript) incorporated into ML/AI pipelines to improve observability.

- How much time should I spend structuring the project and building tooling to make development easier, vs just diving in and building the project?

- What are the most important areas to focus on make sure its as useful as possible (documentation, license, community, other areas I haven't considered?

[cookiengineer]

If you are overthinking how to start, you will never start with it.

Just get coding and start prototyping.

More importantly, you are building an open source project for yourself. If you are building it for others, you won't be happy with it.

Always try to solve your own needs and problems.

[skeptrune]

>How much time should I spend structuring the project and building tooling to make development easier, vs just diving in and building the project?

Imo, at most 8hrs.

>What are the most important areas to focus on make sure its as useful as possible (documentation, license, community, other areas I haven't considered?

My order:

1. Demos 2. Good README with ability to get started in <4hrs 3. Documentation 4. Community 5. License (If it's supposed to make money, I vote BSL)

[adawg4]

Thoughts on contributing.md this early?

[doommius]

Microsoft has this which contains some nice pointers https://microsoft.github.io/code-with-engineering-playbook/