JS Ng

Contributing to Projects: A Guide for Beginners

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  • project-management

Picture these scenarios:

“I found this great open-source app I use every day. I noticed it had a typo in the documentation—just one word! I was excited to help, so I downloaded all the files, fixed it, and sent everything back to them in a zip file. They seemed rather frustrated with my help, but I don’t understand why—I fixed the error, right?”

Or this enthusiastic contributor:

“I saw this project and had so many ideas for new features! I spent two weeks coding a whole new module. When I showed it to them, they said they couldn’t accept it because it didn’t match their project’s direction. All that work wasted…”

Or this well-intentioned helper:

“The project’s code looked messy to me, so I rewrote a bunch of files to match my preferred style. I thought they’d be happy, but instead, they closed my pull request saying I should follow their style guide. But my way is cleaner!”

If you’ve had similar experiences—or want to avoid them—you’re in the right place. These stories teach us important principles about contributing to projects.

Understanding Project Ownership

The first story, about fixing a typo, shows us something crucial: every project has its own way of working. It’s like being invited into someone’s home—they probably have their own way of organising things, their own house rules.

This leads us to our first principle: Projects are communities with established practices. Even fixing a single typo usually involves:

  • Understanding how the project accepts changes
  • Following their contribution process
  • Using their preferred tools and methods

This isn’t bureaucracy—it’s about making collaboration manageable.

Understanding Project Vision

Our second story, about adding new features, illustrates another key point. Every project has a direction, a vision of what it’s trying to achieve. The maintainers have likely spent a lot of time thinking about:

  • What the project should and shouldn’t do
  • How features should work together
  • What they can sustainably maintain

This teaches us another principle: Successful contributions align with the project’s goals. Before investing time in big changes, it helps to:

  • Understand what the project is trying to achieve
  • Learn why things are done certain ways
  • Discuss significant changes before building them

Understanding Project Communication

Here are some situations that project maintainers often encounter:

“A new contributor joined our project and volunteered to work on our database module. They seemed really enthusiastic! We haven’t heard from them in three weeks, and we don’t know if they’re still working on it or if we should give the task to someone else.”

Or this common situation:

“Someone asked to help with our project. During our first meeting, they nodded along to everything but didn’t ask any questions. Later, we discovered they were completely lost but didn’t want to admit it. They spent weeks struggling with basics we could have explained in minutes.”

And this familiar scenario:

“A contributor said they’d build our new search feature. When we check in, they always say ‘it’s going well’ or ‘still working on it.’ But we have no idea if they’re 20% done or 80% done, if they’re stuck, or if they need help.”

These stories reveal crucial principles about project communication.

The Silence Spiral

When we’re new to a project, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed or uncertain. We might stay quiet to avoid looking inexperienced. But silence can:

  • Hide problems until they’re bigger
  • Waste time struggling alone
  • Leave others unsure how to help
  • Create anxiety for everyone involved

This leads to an important principle: Clear communication is more valuable than looking competent. Every expert started as a beginner who had questions.

The Ghost Contributor

Volunteering for tasks feels great—we’re excited to help! But life happens. We get busy, stuck, or realise we’ve taken on too much. Going silent might feel easier than admitting this, but it:

  • Leaves the project in limbo
  • Makes planning harder
  • Prevents others from helping
  • Damages trust in the community

This teaches us another principle: Projects need reliable information more than they need heroes. It’s better to say “I can’t do this anymore” than to simply disappear.

The Progress Black Box

When we’re working on something, our progress is clear to us. We know our challenges, our pace, our next steps. But others can’t see inside our process. Without clear updates:

  • Teams can’t plan effectively
  • Help can’t arrive when needed
  • Work might be duplicated
  • Trust becomes harder to maintain

This reveals our third communication principle: Sharing progress is as important as making progress. Even a quick “still stuck on X” helps everyone understand where things stand.

Understanding Project Culture

The third story, about rewriting “messy” code, reveals something about project culture. What looks messy to you might be exactly how the project wants their code organised. Every project develops its own:

  • Coding style and conventions
  • Design patterns and practices
  • Ways of solving problems

This leads to our third principle: Projects have their own standards and preferences. These aren’t arbitrary—they help maintain consistency and make the code manageable for everyone involved.

Making Communication Work

These stories point to some fundamental needs in project contribution:

Being Comfortably Clear

  • It’s okay to say “I don’t understand”
  • It’s okay to say “I need help”
  • It’s okay to say “I can’t do this anymore”
  • It’s okay to share partial progress

Staying Connected

  • Regular quick updates
  • Sharing both progress and problems
  • Being clear about your availability
  • Asking for help when needed

Managing Commitments

  • Being realistic about your time
  • Communicating changes early
  • Setting clear expectations
  • Following through or speaking up

What This Means for Contributors

These stories point to some fundamental approaches for contributing:

Start with Observation

  • Watch how the project works
  • See how others contribute
  • Learn the project’s patterns
  • Understand what’s valued

Start Small

  • Begin with simple contributions
  • Learn the process
  • Build trust and understanding
  • Grow your involvement naturally

Start with Communication

  • Ask before making big changes
  • Share ideas early
  • Listen to feedback
  • Learn from the community

The Contribution Mindset

Contributing isn’t just about the changes you make—it’s about becoming part of a project’s community. This means:

Respecting the Project

  • Understanding that “different” doesn’t mean “wrong”
  • Learning why things are done certain ways
  • Following established practices

Building Trust

  • Starting with small, helpful changes
  • Showing you understand the project’s goals
  • Being responsive to feedback
  • Helping others when you can

Growing Gradually

  • Building your understanding over time
  • Taking on bigger challenges as you learn
  • Becoming a trusted member of the community

Moving Forward

Remember: every experienced contributor started exactly where you are. The goal isn’t to make perfect contributions from day one. The goal is to:

  • Learn how the project works
  • Make helpful improvements
  • Build positive relationships
  • Grow your skills and understanding

Start small, be patient, and keep learning. Every great contribution starts with understanding.