What's next - Independent Maintainer and Educator

I'm available for hire—short and sweet. But, of course, there's more to the story.

For the past three years, I’ve worked as a full-time maintainer, thanks to the immense support from Postman. I was blessed with employment that allowed me to dedicate all my energy to open source.

That’s the dream for every open-source maintainer—not having to worry about finances while focusing solely on the project.

But, as we know, dreams don’t last forever. And here I am, three years later, at the end of that chapter. It’s time to embark on a new journey as the funding river runs dry.

There’s a long list of talented individuals now available for hire, and I encourage you to reach out to them as well.

What’s next for the AsyncAPI Initiative?

Only good things.

The community and project’s adoption have scaled to a point where it’s unstoppable. Just look at the size of the Technical Steering Committee, the Ambassadors, and the 72 maintainers.

Through the support of generous sponsors, we've been able to hire two incredible individuals, Thulie and Bami, who are dedicated to community growth and marketing.

Of course, losing full-time open-source maintainers has an impact. I won’t downplay that. But I'm an optimist. The glass is always half full to me, and I believe this change could open doors for more part-time contributors to get involved and slow things down enough for them to make meaningful contributions.

My future at AsyncAPI

Despite being let go in June, I never went anywhere. I did take some time off to cool down and reflect on how we were treated by Postman, but the thought of stepping away from AsyncAPI or open source? Never crossed my mind.

I’m still here and committed to my role as Executive Director—a position I was selected for by the community last year. And I intend to follow through on that promise.

In fact, I’m heading to San Francisco in early October to represent AsyncAPI at the Google Summer of Code Mentor Summit. If that doesn’t demonstrate my dedication, I’m not sure what does.

My vision for the community remains the same: we must evolve. We need to move beyond relying on one director and establish a governance board. That’s my primary goal in the coming months—to lead AsyncAPI out of its startup phase and into a sustainable future.

Of course I won’t be working on AsyncAPI full-time. Right now, you can find me actively contributing on Mondays through Wednesdays.

My top three priorities:

Executive Director responsibilities
Maintenance of the AsyncAPI Generator
Maintenance of the AsyncAPI specification

The rest? I can’t commit to anything beyond those.

How I plan to fund my work

I’m ready to embrace life as an Independent Open Source Maintainer, exploring diverse funding options to keep this work going.

I’m rebooting my self-employment, and it gives me the flexibility to pursue multiple avenues.

GitHub Sponsors

I’m counting on the AsyncAPI community and its supporters—those who value the work I’ve done and the goals I’ve set.

If you know someone who wants to back my efforts, some company that depends on my work, please direct them to donate and let them secure their investment.

Training and Education

Over the years, I’ve hosted workshops at various conferences, especially around open source and AsyncAPI. I’ve accumulated a wealth of knowledge that can be turned into comprehensive training materials, long-term educational content, podcasts, or customized workshops for organizations.

This is a path I’m eager to explore more deeply.

Tech Funds

There are opportunities out there, such as the Sovereign Tech Fund and EU-funded consortium projects, that often need short-term expert contributions. I’m more than ready to contribute where I can.

Consulting

Both AsyncAPI and event-driven architectures can be daunting, and introducing open-source culture within an organization? That’s no small feat.

With the experience I’ve gained over the years, I’m confident I can provide valuable insights to companies tackling these challenges. If you know anyone who could benefit from my consulting services, feel free to connect us via email: lpgornicki@gmail.com.

The road ahead

I’m excited to experiment with this new chapter for the next six months. I’ve got the energy and the drive, so here’s hoping for some exciting contracts and new opportunities.

Keep your fingers crossed.