Retrospective: #vDocumentation – A Successful Open Source Project
In October 2017, my colleague Edgar Sanchez and I had the opportunity to present our open source project, #vDocumentation, at VMworld US. As two newbies in the industry, we were nervous but excited to share our project with a global audience. To our delight, the session was well-received, and we were thrilled to see that our project had gained traction and attracted a dedicated community of contributors and users.
In this retrospective, I would like to share the reasons why I believe #vDocumentation succeeded, despite being a small open source project. I will also provide an update on the project’s progress and highlight some of the cool statistics and visualizations that demonstrate its success.
Why #vDocumentation Succeeded
In my opinion, there are several reasons why #vDocumentation succeeded:
1. Humble beginnings: Edgar and I approached the project with humility, recognizing that we were new to the industry and had much to learn. We didn’t pretend to be experts or try to compete with established projects like PowerCLI. Instead, we focused on creating a simple yet useful tool that could help others in their daily admin tasks.
2. User-centric approach: We designed #vDocumentation with the user in mind, focusing on ease of use and simplicity. We avoided complex scripts and instead opted for a modular, straightforward approach that anyone could understand and contribute to.
3. Open communication: We actively engaged with our community, responding to comments, messages, and issues raised on GitHub. We also created a #vDocumentation channel in the VMware Code Slack, where users could connect with us and other contributors. This open communication helped foster a sense of belonging and encouraged users to contribute to the project.
4. Collaborative spirit: Edgar and I welcomed contributions from others, recognizing that our project was stronger when combined with the expertise of our community. We were willing to learn from others and adopt their ideas, which helped improve the project’s quality and relevance.
5. Adaptability: As the project evolved, we remained flexible and adaptable, responding to user feedback and incorporating new features and improvements. This willingness to change and grow helped keep the project relevant and valuable to our community.
Project Update and Statistics
Since its inception, #vDocumentation has gained significant traction and achievements:
1. 400+ downloads from the PowerShell Gallery
2. 42 stars on GitHub
3. Cool visualizations on websites like @artzub and GitHub stats
4. Insights/Traffic page on GitHub, showcasing unique visitors and engagement
5. Contributions from Justin Sider (@jpsider) and soon from Graham Barker (@VirtualG_UK)
6. v2.0 release with improved code organization and modularity
7. Code synchronization with the PowerShell Gallery
These statistics demonstrate that #vDocumentation has resonated with our community, but more importantly, they show that our project has had a real impact on people’s lives. Users have found our tool helpful in their daily admin tasks, and contributors have joined us in our mission to improve the project for everyone.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe that #vDocumentation succeeded due to its humble beginnings, user-centric approach, open communication, collaborative spirit, and adaptability. These principles have helped us build a community around our project and create a valuable resource for the VMware community. As we continue to grow and evolve, I am excited to see how #vDocumentation will impact the industry and the lives of those who use it.
Thank you for reading this retrospective, and I look forward to updating you on the project’s progress in the future. Please feel free to reach out to me or Edgar with any questions or contributions.