Virtually Attend FOSDEM 2026

Burnout in Open Source: A Structural Problem We Can Fix Together

2026-02-01T16:35:00+01:00 for 00:25

I'm a psychology researcher that has been moved by the extent of burnout in Open Source, and I've written what I believe to be the most comprehensive report to date on burnout among OSS developers. I reviewed the academic literature, conducted a qualitative analysis of online discussion in the OSS community, and interviewed OSS developers. I identified 6 factors that contribute to developer burnout: difficulty getting paid, workload and time commitment, maintenance work as unrewarding, toxic community behaviour, hyper-responsibility and pressure to prove oneself. I recommend 4 structural changes to address developer burnout: pay OSS developers, foster a culture of recognition and respect, grow the community and advocate for maintainers.

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