Unlocking the code: My Journey Through Hacktoberfest 2023, where collaboration meets innovation, challenges become opportunities, and open source unites us all. Let's get started!

Overview🚀

Back in 2022, I was introduced to Hacktoberfest, but being new to open-source and the event itself, I couldn't complete it. However, that initial experience fueled my curiosity, motivating me to dive deeper into open-source and set a goal to conquer Hacktoberfest 2023. That was the spark that ignited my journey. Now that Hacktoberfest 2023 has come to an end, it's time to look back on the adventure I embarked on during this month-long celebration of open-source. In this blog, I'll take you through my experience, the hurdles I had to overcome, the rewards I'm eagerly anticipating, and the invaluable lessons I've gathered along the way.

My contribution 🛠️

Once October started, I was really excited to join open-source projects and complete Hacktoberfest. Along the way, I discovered some extra events like hacksquad hosted by awesome open-source companies like Novu, Amplication, Appwrite, Hashnode, and Airbyte. What's great is that these events all share the same goal as Hacktoberfest, so any contributions I made in these events counted for Hacktoberfest as well. So, I decided to take on these extra challenges, even though it meant juggling a lot of tasks and dealing with some challenges. I'll explain more about that in this blog.

The event that I participated in the period of Hacktoberfest:

1. Main Hacktoberfest

   

   In the main Hacktoberfest 2023, I had to merge 4 valid pull requests during October. I went above and beyond, merging 10+ pull requests, with a focus on contributions to Novu. As a reward, I had the opportunity to plant a tree, receive a digital Holopin badge, and enjoy various digital rewards.

   💡Know more: Click here

2. Novu Hacktoberfest

   

   Novu has organized an awesome event as a celebration of Hacktoberfest, where I needed to merge 3 or 5 pull requests to receive either normal swag or premium swag. I successfully merged 5 pull requests and grabbed the #10 position in the leaderboard, primarily focusing on Novu's documentation.

   💡Know more: Click here

3. Hacksquad

   Hacksquad was another fantastic event, jointly organized by 5 to 6 open-source companies to celebrate the Hacktoberfest season of contributions. To participate, we had to merge pull requests in valid repositories with at least 200 stars on GitHub. Unfortunately, our team didn't make it to the top 60 due to various reasons, ending up at position #95.

   💡Know more: Click here

4. Amplication Hacktoberfest

   

   Amplication Hacktoberfest included various events such as plugin development, issue solving, building apps using Amplication as a backend, and documenting the process. The winners had the chance to receive swags like stickers and t-shirts. I built an app called "Snapshot" for capturing high-quality website screenshots and documented the development process through a blog post on Dev.to.

   💡Know more: Click here

   📝 Blog: Click here

5. Hashnode x Airbyte Hackathon

   The Hashnode x Airbyte Hackathon required us to contribute to Airbyte by improving connectors or writing quickstart guides for various use cases provided by them. I wrote a quickstart guide and documented it in a blog post, which I shared on Hashnode.

   💡Know more: Click here

   📝 Blog: Click here

Challenges💥

Participating occasionally and encountering no challenges make for an uninspiring competition. Indeed, during this time, I confronted several challenges. These challenges include:

1. Time Management

   Hacktoberfest takes place every October, coinciding with the festive season in Nepal when we celebrate Dashain and Tihar. This cultural celebration, along with my entrance examinations in mid-October, posed a significant time management challenge. It made it difficult for me to allocate time to contribute to open-source projects and led to me missing out on many events. The time constraint also played a role in our team's inability to secure the #60 position in Hacksquad.

2. Technical Complexity

   Many open-source projects are technically complex, with intricate code structures and specialized knowledge requirements. Understanding these codebases, identifying suitable issues, and making meaningful contributions often proved to be challenging, requiring a steep learning curve.

3. Feedback and Rejections

   Dealing with feedback on my pull requests, as well as the occasional rejection, was emotionally taxing. It required me to build resilience and learn from feedback constructively to improve my contributions.

Rewards & Excitement 🎁

As a developer, we really like swag. Swag is the cool stuff that motivates us and feels like a prize for our hard work. I won some swag during Hacktoberfest, and even though it's not a lot, it means a bunch to me. Here's what I earned from different side events:

1. I merged 5 pull requests in the Novu project, and that means I get the chance to win some awesome premium swag.

2. I built an app using Amplication as a backend, so I'm eligible for a premium Amplication t-shirt.

3. I merged a quickstart, and that gave me some credits for swag. I'm planning to use these credits to get some cool stuff from the swag store.

Connecting with the Community 👥

Speaking for myself, I used to be quite shy and didn't talk much to others. But during this Hacktoberfest, I managed to conquer my shyness. I joined different Discord channels and began talking to many amazing people. I wasn't afraid to reach out through text messages or even in virtual meetings to ask for help and share my thoughts. This was a big achievement for me because I learned to share my ideas and make use of the knowledge that others were willing to share

Lessons Learned 🧠

• Persistence pays off: Facing challenges head-on and staying dedicated leads to well-deserved rewards.

• Open source is a team effort: The warm community and the willingness to support each other are both heartening and motivating.

• Never stop learning: Every contribution is a chance to improve skills and gain new knowledge.

• Time management is key: Balancing multiple responsibilities is essential for a successful Hacktoberfest journey.

• Feedback is a friend: Constructive criticism is an opportunity for growth, both as a developer and a contributor.

• Mastering Git and GitHub: I've also acquired advanced skills in using Git and GitHub, which has been a valuable addition to my toolkit.

Conclusion 🌅

Hacktoberfest 2023 has been a remarkable journey, filled with challenges, rewards, and personal growth. It's reaffirmed the power of persistence, community collaboration, and the joy of continuous learning. As I look back on this adventure, I'm not just a contributor; I'm part of a global community that thrives on open source. With new skills, friendships, and experiences in hand, I eagerly anticipate the next Hacktoberfest and the continued exploration of the world of open-source.