Miranda Heath (Miranda Heath), a PhD student studying psychology at the University of Edinburgh, has recently published the results of her research on the causes of burnout among open source software developers. Burnout, defined as a depletion of physical and mental strength leading to emptiness, loss of motivation, and changes in attitude, poses a significant challenge in the tech industry.
After analyzing 57 cases of maintainer burnout, conducting interviews with developers, and studying discussions in open source software communities, Heath identified six main factors contributing to burnout. Among these factors, difficulty obtaining funding and toxic community behavior emerged as key issues.
- Difficulty obtaining funding.
- Toxic behavior of the community.
- Heavy workload and lack of free time.
- Perception of project support as a thankless job.
- Hyper-responsibility.
- The need to prove one’s competence (the need for self-affirmation).
A survey of 26,348 open source project developers in 2023 revealed that 73% had experienced burnout at some point in their careers. Of the 400 maintainers surveyed in 2024, 60% admitted they had considered leaving their open source projects. This poses a risk of projects being left unmaintained and development stagnating. Moreover, burnout among maintainers who continue could lead to delays in addressing critical issues, such as fixing vulnerabilities.
The risk of burnout is exacerbated by an imbalance between labor demands and resources for replenishing energy. Factors influencing burnout include working under pressure, lack of support, inadequate payment, and insufficient recognition. Addressing these issues is crucial to preventing burnout and ensuring the sustainability of open source projects.