Program Management for Open Source Projects is here (in beta!)

After almost a year of work, I’m excited to share some very exciting news: the first beta release of Program Management for Open Source Projects is available from The Pragmatic Bookshelf! You can get DRM-free eBooks in PDF, mobi, and epub formats.

Everyone does program management; some just do it poorly. Program management is the art of communicating and coordinating at the interfaces between teams in order to deliver value. In open source projects, that means keeping the ducks aligned so that the project can reliably deliver the software it produces. Most open source projects don’t have a position titled “program manager,” but they probably have someone(s) doing the work. I’m writing this book for them. It’s a guide to being intentional in the work they’re already doing.

What’s a beta book?

Like with software, the idea behind a beta release is to get feedback from the most dedicated audience. You get early access to the content, and I get your feedback. If something is confusing, awkward, or flat-out wrong, I can fix it before the final release goes out. You’ll get each subsequent beta release and the final release. Read more about beta books on the Pragmatic Bookshelf website.

What’s next?

I’m glad you asked! I still need to finish writing the book, so that will be a thing. Meanwhile, I’ll also be writing posts here. Be sure to subscribe to get all of the latest updates. And while you’re subscribing to things, sign up for the newsletter! I promise it won’t be spammy.

I’d love your (constructive) feedback on the book and this site. They’re both a work in progress, but I’m so excited to share them with you. You can email me at quack@duckalignment.academy or (for book feedback), use the errata tool.

This post’s featured image by Patti Black on Unsplash

Ben formerly led open source messaging at Docker and was the Fedora Program Manager. He is the author of Program Management for Open Source Projects. Ben is an Open Organization Ambassador and frequent conference speaker. His personal website is Funnel Fiasco.

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