Reflection on Open Source in Business

This week in class, we discussed the role of open source in the business world. I found it fascinating how companies are increasingly integrating open source strategies into their operations—not only to leverage innovation and reduce costs, but also to build communities around their technologies. Open source is no longer just a hobbyist or academic pursuit; it’s now a strategic asset. Businesses like Microsoft, Red Hat, and Google are actively investing in open source projects, not just by releasing code but also by creating Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) to manage contributions, licensing, and community engagement. I’m starting to see how open source participation can also be a powerful learning and career-building tool for developers like us.

Team Contribution Progress – AutoGen by Microsoft

Over the past week, we’ve identified two GitHub issues we are interested in solving. These issues are somewhat advanced and definitely pushed us out of our comfort zones. However, after some self-teaching and research, I feel more confident that I can handle them.

Although neither issue is fully in progress yet, we’re steadily making headway. The biggest challenge we’ve faced is actually finding issues we can reasonably contribute to. Since AutoGen AI is a popular and cutting-edge project, many of the tasks require professional-level skills or are claimed quickly by others.

Still, as the professor reminded us in class, contribution doesn’t always have to mean submitting code. Sharing ideas, proposing solutions, or even documenting the process are valuable forms of contribution too. As a team, we’re staying motivated and committed to participating more actively in the project—even if our impact starts small, we know it matters.