F44 Mindshare Election Interview

(I have written my verbose interview below, but I want to do it in a non-traditional way also, since it's mindshare, we need innovation and creativity, please check my vision in the attached diagram :wink:)

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What is your name (Given/First and Family/Last Names please)?

Samyak Jain

What is your FAS Username and Nick?

My FAS username is jnsamyak, and most people in the community know me by jnsamyak as well 😀

What Matrix Channels do you tend to use?

• #releng:fedoraproject.org
• #admin:fedoraproject.org
• #release-day:fedora.im
• #devel:fedoraproject.org
• #mindshare:fedoraproject.org
• #social:fedoraproject.org
• #design:fedoraproject.org

Along with many contributor onboarding, event coordination, and Fedora community discussions across Matrix.

What is your background in Fedora? What have you worked on and what are you doing now?

I currently work as a Fedora Release Engineer and have helped lead multiple Fedora Linux releases, including Fedora Linux 42, Fedora Linux 43, and most recently Fedora Linux 44. My work primarily involves release coordination, compose workflows, branching, signing operations, automation improvements, and ensuring smooth release execution across Fedora infrastructure.

Over time, I've also contributed toward improving release documentation, mentoring contributors, coordinating release-day activities, and helping newer contributors understand Fedora Release Engineering workflows.

Before Fedora, I contributed to Debian, primarily around Kotlin and Ruby packaging. When I joined Fedora, one of the first things that stood out to me was how welcoming and community-driven Fedora felt. Fedora India meetings became my first real social entry point into the Fedora ecosystem, and from there, I gradually became more involved in both technical and community activities.

Beyond Release Engineering, my Fedora journey has always been deeply community-focused. Some of the initiatives and events I've been involved in include:

• Co-organizing Fedora Hatch Pune 2022
• Leading Fedora's involvement and organization efforts for GNOME Asia 2024 in Bangalore
• Representing Fedora at Flock 2025
• Representing Fedora at FOSSASIA 2026 to strengthen Fedora's APAC visibility and outreach
• Speaking at conferences like DevConf.cz, DebConf, GNOME Asia, and Fedora events
• Supporting contributor onboarding and mentorship across APAC communities

One experience that particularly shaped my perspective was attending FOSSASIA 2026 as part of Fedora's APAC outreach efforts. It gave me a much broader understanding of how rapidly open source communities are growing in Asia and how different communities actively engage contributors in the region.

That experience reinforced something important for me: Fedora already has incredible technical foundations and strong community values — but we can do much more in terms of visibility, onboarding, storytelling, and contributor engagement across APAC.

I also currently serve as an Outreachy mentor for the Fedora Release Planner Scheduler project, helping contributors navigate Fedora workflows, collaboration practices, and open source contribution processes.

For me, Fedora has never been only about releases or infrastructure. It has always been about building a welcoming and empowering community around open source.

Please elaborate on the personal "Why" which motivates you to be a candidate for Mindshare.

My motivation comes from the grassroots experiences I've had throughout my Fedora journey. I've experienced Fedora from multiple perspectives:

• As a newcomer entering the community
• As a packager and contributor
• As a Release Engineer
• As an event organizer
• As a mentor helping newer contributors

And one thing became very clear to me: communities do not grow only through technology — they grow through people feeling connected, supported, recognized, and welcomed.

Mindshare sits at the center of that experience.

A major part of this motivation comes from my experiences in APAC communities. I've met incredibly talented contributors who often remain unseen simply because they lack visibility, opportunities, guidance, or regional representation. I want to help change that.

Mentoring contributors through Outreachy and interacting with contributors during conferences like FOSSASIA and Flock made me realize how important human connection is in open source communities. Many contributors do not stay because of technology alone — they stay because:

• Someone guided them
• Someone encouraged them
• Someone followed up with them
• Someone made them feel like they belonged

That is one of the biggest reasons why I want to contribute more actively through Mindshare. My goal is not just to organize events or discussions, but to help create:

• Better contributor journeys
• Stronger regional connections
• More approachable onboarding
• More visible contributor recognition
• More interactive and welcoming community spaces

Fedora's vision talks about creating a world where everyone benefits from free and open source software built by inclusive and welcoming communities. That vision strongly resonates with me, and I want to actively help bring that vision closer to reality.

How would you improve Mindshare Committee visibility and awareness in the Fedora community?

I believe Mindshare visibility improves when contributors can clearly see its impact in their day-to-day Fedora experience. Right now, many contributors still don't fully know what Mindshare does, how it supports contributors, how regional communities can engage with it, or how contributors can benefit from its initiatives.

I'd like to focus on making Mindshare feel more visible, approachable, interactive, and community-connected across three areas:

Regional Community Spotlights

Introduce lightweight contributor and regional showcases highlighting APAC contributors, Fedora event organizers, mentors and advocates, community success stories, and new contributors making an impact. Sometimes even a simple spotlight can motivate someone to contribute more.

Better Contributor Onboarding and Retention

Help encourage contributor roadmaps by interest area, beginner-friendly onboarding guides, mentorship checkpoints, lightweight follow-up systems, and easier discovery of Fedora teams and opportunities. The contributor journey should feel exciting — not confusing.

Stronger APAC Engagement

Encourage more regional collaboration, Fedora representation at local FOSS events, community-driven mini events and workshops, localized outreach content, timezone-friendly engagement opportunities, and better contributor recognition from APAC communities. There are many hidden Fedora heroes across APAC, and I want to help amplify their stories.

More Interactive DEI Engagement

Explore more interactive approaches such as regional contributor stories, Fedora social storytelling campaigns, contributor experience videos, cultural exchange sessions, community-led DEI discussions, and language-inclusive engagement initiatives. Sometimes even a small welcoming effort can have a lifelong impact on someone entering open source for the first time.

What part of Fedora do you think needs the most attention from the Mindshare Committee during your term?

The biggest area that needs attention is contributor growth and retention — especially across underrepresented regions like APAC. I would specifically focus on three major areas:

1. APAC Visibility and Contributor Recognition

There is immense untapped contributor potential in APAC. I want to help improve regional visibility, encourage local leadership, increase contributor recognition, strengthen cross-community collaboration, and build a stronger regional Fedora identity. Even small recognition efforts can significantly motivate contributors and make them feel valued.

2. Contributor Retention and Mentorship

We need smoother and more approachable contributor journeys. I'd love to help encourage structured onboarding pathways, defined contributor milestones, team-specific starter guides, mentorship and feedback loops, easier first-contribution experiences, and better newcomer follow-up systems. The goal is simple: make contributors feel supported from their very first interaction with Fedora.

3. Human-Centered Community Building and DEI

Fedora is one of the most technically strong communities in open source, but what truly makes it special is its people. I want to help strengthen community interaction, social engagement, inclusive participation, DEI-focused storytelling, contributor appreciation, and community belonging.

Ultimately, I want Fedora to continue being a place where contributors from every background feel welcomed, valued, heard, and inspired to stay.

While contributors may forget specific technical tasks over time, they always remember how a community made them feel.