---
title: Move Slow and Try Not to Break Each Other
osem_url: https://osem.seagl.org/conferences/seagl2020/program/proposals/748
beginning: '2020-11-14T13:15:00.000-08:00'
end: '2020-11-14T13:45:00.000-08:00'
resources:
  internet_archive_identifier: SeaGL2020-Deb_Nicholson-Move_Slow_and_Try_Not_to_Break_Each_Other
presenters:
- name: Deb Nicholson
  affiliation: SeaGL
  osem_url: https://osem.seagl.org/users/32
  gravatar_id: ad818bec4900cb3354d2aa536a7bf207
  biography: Deb Nicholson is a free software policy expert and a passionate community
    advocate. She is the General Manager at the Open Source Initiative which stewards
    the Open Source Definition and works to raise awareness and adoption of open source
    software. She is also a founding organizer of the Seattle GNU/Linux Conference,
    an annual event dedicated to surfacing new voices and welcoming new people to
    the free software community. She lives with her husband and her lucky black cat
    in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
---

Sustainable open source starts with building sustainable communities. If our workplaces and our communities aren't sustainable then our projects won't be either. Constant chaos and breakneck speeds can only occasionally create sustainable projects, by accident. The next generation of software production will need to lean into relationship building, mission sharing and strategic planning. This talk will explore:

* How projects can get ready for the long haul
* Why resiliency starts with inter-dependency
* How slower structures enable stronger communities

Many of us are doing many of the things that help build sustainable projects already, but what if we could be more intentional? Certain structures and norms can make it hard to implement positive changes even when good ideas come up. Shared leadership and mission-driven organizations offer solid structures for sustainable communities and sustainable software development. Mutual respect and humane working conditions are how we'll create a culture that values both experience and institutional memory while encouraging new people and new ideas. Let's slow down for sustainability!
