GitLab Community Relations, 1 Apr 2020

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From YouTube: GitLab Heroes Spotlight - Rajendra Kadam

Description

GitLab Hero Rajendra Kadam chats with fellow GitLab Hero Marvin Karegyeya about GitLab's community and the Heroes program.

GitLab Heroes are members of the wider GitLab community who make outstanding contributions to GitLab and our community around the globe.

Learn more about the program here: https://about.gitlab.com/community/heroes/

A

Okay, I'll read it after I read.

B

Hi mommy, okay,.

A

Okay, nice to meet you so I I recently started.

A

You know like this spotlight, video kind of thing, so we started it like recently to try to have like some of the heroes to share a bit of some of the information on their journey as heroes, and much of this was to encourage you know, like other heroes or some people who could want to like join the program to be able to join the program or to create some of the information that could be easily accessible by some of our the heroes as they try to join the program.

A

So some of what we are doing now is going to be okay, it's going to be like for the first time, and just like you, the pasta, you know, gets done like this kind of video program. I would like you to introduce yourself and maybe say something about yourself. Oh.

B

Yeah so I'm Rajendra I am based out of Mumbai in India. I had tributing to get laughs for past couple of months now, but it I have been contributing very seriously with some significant features from January and so every day now I work as a software engineer at the all this track. It's a company in Mumbai is developing testing software solutions.

B

Yes, so I have been enjoying my journey of contributing to this lab and I've been learning like after every amar, something new something new about the best practices. Writing in good aspects: writing maintainable code, eluding, Amar's, so yeah. That's.

A

That's interesting, so can you tell us about you join like a program.

B

My first intention was not at all to join the heroes program, as in I was not focusing on joining the heroes program. Rather, I was focusing on making good contributions to get laughs and, as as my contributions were increased and there's no significant contributions. The heroes program, I, would say it followed, like I, just tweeted, about my my goal of dizzier to make 50 plus contributions, 50, plus significant ml contributions, and that's.

A

B

About John tweeted his reply on my tweet that he would like me to nominate myself for the heroes program and that's how about I got to know about Heroes program. It was like yeah. This is cool, I mean I can join in and encourage more few developers to you know, contribute to get laughs and learn along the way. So yeah it was not like I did not decide to join the Heroes program and then I would start contribution. It's like it's the other way now I started contributions.

B

First made very good contributions in the initial stage and been doing that every day and that's how I was selected by the heroes committee for they I.

A

Think that's really inspiring. You know it's like something that came out of ago and I feel like that's something really as fine. So what's the most important, you know thing that you have observed as being part of the program like what stands out for you as an individual, so I.

B

Think I am motivated to do have sustained contributions earlier I used to you know, I have 1mr some bit cold and then you know just not check out for weeks and then that's why it took me a few months time for the first, mr and few weeks time actually for the first time arc, but you know being in the Heroes program you sort of have a responsibility in the wider community that you have to contribute.

B

You have to you, know the issues or the MS that are assigned to you, you're, you are owning them, so that's, that's. You have some ownership towards it. So I think heroes, program emphasizes on that that you have a responsibility and I think it comes to me as to not contribute I have.

A

B

My working Oz during the day I spend like three to four hours from 8:00 p.m. till 10:00 10:30 p.m. every day before going to bed checking some reviews Compton's on my existing Emma's and checking. If there are any new issues that need my attention or need some work to be done, which you know might not get prioritized within the team but good for me to learn and yeah. That's what heroes program and actually change about the contributions in me towards.

A

Yeah I think that's really inspiring. You know like your journey towards you know like the contribution and they work ethic that she put in and the fact that you are willing. You know like to push this even after work, given that most people would be. You know, resting at that time, so I find that to be really inspiring. So one would just be also doing like the next couple of years as a here.

B

You know one thing I'm now, as I said initially wasn't, my name was not just getting into bed levels, but my focus was on contributions and get you know followed now. The next step is growing in this program is I would like to be a part of the core committee core team members. There I'm able to contribute in much more meaningful way, along with the good lab team engineering team. So that's what I'm aiming for next and essentially I would just keep contributing to get lab some more complex contributions.

B

You know something that requires design, something that requires introducing a new model introducing some new architecture.

B

So that's my focus for being in the program now and helping the wider community members during hackathon or during any normal day when I come back on my laptop to contribute to get laughs, I just check the Gator channel, they get a contributors channel. Is there anyone someone requiring help or not so yeah? That's what my focus is now because you know I just feel contributing to gridlock is not just about you know. Yet another work or yet another open-source software. That I would like to contribute it's it's it's.

B

It has much more meaning to that. Then then this.

A

B

So that's why I don't feel you just mentioned about a point that people would rest after work and would not do anything, but that is what something that can be motivated to contribute every day, even if I'm, tired and during the weekends now before before I. This column is just going through the existing open issues, some reviews on Maya, Mars and and.

A

Sunday's are.

B

The two full days that I'm able to give it to contribute to get lab well.

A

That's, that's really amazing. You know like you putting outside your time is really fascinating because yeah like I, said previously, not very many people. You know like choose to do that and I find this.

B

And especially.

A

B

You check the get lab values of collaboration and iteration I tend to follow them like after few, a mass like I had seven or eight Emma's in the pipeline, and then I just went from the handbook for reading the credit values with length values and using collaboration iteration. The bowl of my 50 plus M s I had it for over a year, but I just happened to you know complete it within two months of 2020. So by.

A

The February.

B

I was 50 Emma's merged into the master branch of the grid, lab and myself totally that you know by just following the values by just using them at the right place and living that giving those values I was able to complete my goal. Wow.

A

That's the spiral so so like. What's really you know like drives, you like in this in this contribution like what's like the major inspiration that you get I.

A

B

I think it's the code that get lab a genius have been written over the years. I I have seen many other open source projects ice. I code at my work, but it's nothing that good lab has so much more valuable. I mean the for directed structure, the folder structure, architecture. It's it's! It's really amazing that I get to learn a lot of things from that. I have been.

A

Learning those reading.

B

The best practices reading the backend guides of the kit lab documentation and using them at our place, so I were able to improve. You know something at my workplace again, something.

A

That I've been.

B

Followed so I urge the team to follow I urge the team to read better aspects and that's how I have been like being motivated, because you know it's never a dull moment, not even a single, mr was a waste of time. I would say, or nothing that I learned from a single amount. Every single EMA has been something the reviewers.

B

The engineers, at wit, lab, have been very helpful in all the reviews of my math and have been you know not just pick reviews, but something meaningful and I believe I must have missed learning them previously at the job or somewhere else, or by doing my some projects or projects. I must have missed them, but I am thankful to the engineering team and it lab that they taught me so much. You.

A

B

About Ruby about writing good aspects of whatever that may be about teamwork, collaborating yeah.

A

I think that's one of the most inspiring things I also find you know the github community, so yeah I find it. You know like it's really friendly and people are so willing to contribute and collaborate on different aspects, and especially if you like, need help somewhere so like considering like this I believe, maybe you have encountered a couple of like challenges along the way. So what would possibly be like your major challenges that you have been facing as a contributor or part of like the hero problem, I? Think.

B

Though, like there is not much to improve, I mean Raymond and David have they have been doing a great job of material?

B

They have been doing everything in the power to keep the community engaged, keep the community motivated and get as many as contributors as much as possible on board. So if you check the graph that Raymond had shed in a couple of weeks, like I, think during the hackathon, the number of contributors are increasing exponentially over the period so which means that David and women must be doing something right right. So yeah I, don't think that is I.

B

Don't have any advice right now that anything can be put in the Heroes program, given that actually everything is top-notch and good for the.

A

B

A

I think I think I think so, like I think so too, because you know, like I, feel, like the communication loop and everything regarding like the communication for like the code contributors is quite it's quite something you know most of the collaboration happens there and everyone is willing to like help or to like question something that needs to be patched so yeah like it's actually good and it's something like I I feel like it's the greatest strength of like the contributing platform for like kidnap.

A

So how would you rate your experience on this journey as a hero so far.

A

B

Think it's been a month and a nap I think I was I can check the M our date when I raise the aim. Our date of the Jay, adding my photo on the get labs heroes, page I think that's all I was expected. Maybe the email from John I can just quickly go to my email.

B

I think it's Jan 17 I was in a hurry to get Latinos Jan.

A

B

A

Like have you, have you been able to like see some of like the activities like the heroes have been doing like, for example, their heroes who organize parties and other events? So have you been able to like see them.

B

No, my focus has a little of you has been on contributions, improving the code, adding new features. I am sure there are many great other heroes who have been doing the meetups and like the one that you are doing right now, interviewing me on the hero spotlight, so I think we have good number of people in the Heroes program to touch every aspect of the club's development of it laughter, yeah.

A

That's that's way, amazing. So what would you like like to be changed like what some some one thing that you feel like could be changed?

A

B

Don't have anything on my mind right now, but I think initially.

B

Inducting as a guitar hero, I think I thought. Maybe it's just the contributions that get you a title, but it's not that even if you conduct it repeat, ups spread the word about the community. You are a good liar. You know it's not just about writing code, so even something that you're not let's say you're, not interested in writing code. But you are very good in the organizing meetups. You can be.

A

B

I would have changed that one thing if it was only based on core contributions, but it's not so I, don't have any other points to show on that. It's already like Raymond, is doing a phenomenal job in mediating this yeah.

A

I think much of, like you know, like the the focus of like the Heroes program, is not really necessary, like the developers I think, that's probably for they get up contributors. You know like platform, so I they get up. Heroes mostly focuses on like then on demand. Coding tasks, like you know, like organizing events and maybe like video interviews like this, that could probably be beneficial to maybe someone who's, not from a technical background and I see.

A

You have had quite like an impact on like the technical background so like maybe to know like what would you be interested in like doing you know that to like versus someone who would like to put their content and get lamb and they would they don't know how, to you know like maybe send something or add project their like something that is not really technical on github. So what would you be willing to do to help that kind of people for people probably living in Mumbai.

B

I, would you know, request them to check the other aspects of gitlab, let's say designing or product management, or you know, writing some blocks or yeah developer evangelism. Basically, you know studying about the features of it lab and then evangelizing them in the community about how that can help the developers project. Something like that. It's not only about doing code contributions. It's much more than that I mean developers can just write good code, but yeah. There is a design which you know, help the developers code look good.

B

On the UI side, there are developer evangelism evangelists, who actually you know, get developers interested in what the gitlab is doing. There are product managers. There are designers who you know, contribute in their own way of making the get lamp a good product so come on. Anyone interested in any of these aspects other than the code contributions can become a hero can't follow what I did so yeah. That's about from me. Any would.

A

You be like you know, like such activities, of like promoting the program and trying to you know like educate people on how to do the specific things that have been. You know they would highlight at the moment, yeah.

B

Yeah I would be more than happy to do that in any form.

A

B

Can, in any form that is expected from me, you know maybe having screencast about how to contribute your first, mr, how to navigate the code. I can take up an issue and maybe record my screen of doing a live code in parts breaking into parts, so that is.

A

B

Think can be useful, I haven't tried, but they just came to my mind of how it can help.

A

Okay, so would you would you be in okay, like you just say what you could be able to do, and one of the things like I feel like we have been discussing in some of the meetings. We dig the the coati meetings, I, the the committee meetings was the issue and you know like the thing about diversity, like the program and I feel like it's one of like the major challenges and I. Don't know what you take would be on how to like improve.

A

You know like the diversity of like the program like to have more heroes, from like diverse backgrounds and they're. You know like more people who are underrepresented in like the program. So what's your take of maybe something that would be done to like improve this level. Diversity in the program.

B

I think it it lab organizing events at different places. The good lab commit and everything and Raymond traveling to different conferences to evangelize about McClure, I. Think.

A

B

That's that's what I can also think of the same. You know. Try to do more. Events have more committee commits commit type events and attend as many as conferences meetups as possible. You know, you know let just people know that we have this kind of program and we would like you to participate, and there are people from diverse background who attend those commits the commit events or meet ups which, which you know can get.

B

You know about gitlab heroes, programs there, so I I, don't know about any other way other than that right now, but maybe as a hero I can give it a thought with other heroes that are in our team. Okay,.

A

I think that could be probably a topic of discussion. You know like from the.

B

A

Platform: yeah, okay, okay, before we conclude this because I feel like yeah, we have had really quite an interesting exchange of like knowledge, I, just like you to answer. Maybe the final question that I have for you, which is okay, like what's like a message or one of the encouragement for some of the people who are planning on joining like the program like what would you like to tell them? I.

B

Think one should not focus on becoming a hero or becoming a Kotov member. What should focus on his contributions in any form date, code, contributions, design contributions, product management contributions or whatever contributions and wheedle app supports taking from the community? He or she can focus on that and the success will follow.

B

So my initial aim was not I want to become a good lab hero or I want to win the hackathon I just wanted to focus on my contributions and it'll have hero followed that then during the hackathon I just did what I was doing made as much as I'm as possible and I won the competition so yeah. That's that's just a one, simple line that I have just focus on your contributions and everything will follow anything in case. Okay,.

A

Thank you so much miss Adam I have had quite a wonderful time. You know, like the knowledge that you have exchanged, have been really helpful and I I. Just hope you know like it would be helpful for, like other people who may be able to view it or the gitlab channel. Okay. Thank you. So much yeah.

B

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, mama. Thank you. Thanks a lot. Alright, take care, bye. It's.

A