Merge pull request kubernetes#388 from fsmunoz/patch-2

Add "From Zero to Subproject Lead" article

content/en/blog/2023/from-zero-to-subproject-lead.md

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+---
+layout: blog
+title: "From Zero to Kubernets Subproject Lead"
+date: 2023-03-29
+slug: from-zero-to-k8s-subproject-lead
+author: "Ala Dewberry (VMware)"
+---
+
+Getting started in any open-source community can be daunting, especially if it’s a big one like
+Kubernetes. I wrote this post to share my experience and encourage others to join up. All
+it takes is some curiosity and a willingness to show up!
+
+Here’s how my journey unfolded at a high level:
+
+1. What am I interested in? Is there a SIG (Special Interest Group) or a WG (Working Group) that is
+   dedicated to that topic, or something similar? 
+2. Sign up for their mailing list and start hopping on meetings.
+3. When (never if!) there are opportunities to help out and it aligns with your skills and desired
+   growth areas, raise your hand.
+4. Ask for lots of help and don’t be shy about not knowing everything (or anything!)
+5. Keep plugging along, even if progress isn’t as fast as you would like it to be.
+
+## Starting up
+
+First things first. What are you interested in learning more about? There are so many wonderful SIGs
+and working groups in the Kubernetes community: there’s something for everyone. And continuing to
+show up and participate will be so much easier if you think what you are doing is
+interesting. Likewise, continued participation is what keeps the community thriving, so that
+interest will drive you to have more of an impact. 
+
+Also: it’s ok to show up knowing nothing! I remember showing up knowing
+very little about Kubernetes or how the community itself worked. And while I know more about how the
+community functions today, I am still learning all the time about it and the project. Fortunately,
+the community is full of friendly people who want to help you learn. Learning as you go is expected
+and celebrated. When you raise your hand to do something, even if you know nothing, people will
+cheer and help you along the way. 
+
+This method was my exact story. It was my first or second meeting with [SIG
+Security](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-security), and [Pushkar
+Joglekar](https://github.com/PushkarJ) mentioned that he needed a lead for a subproject he was
+creating after having done a security assessment of [Cluster API](https://cluster-api.sigs.k8s.io/).
+Everyone was so friendly in the meeting
+that I thought, "Hey, why not try it out?" And since then, I have received so much support and
+encouragement from my co-leads who are delighted to have me, _especially_ because I am a beginner;
+new participation is what keeps the community healthy.
+
+## Always learning
+
+My participation has also been a great learning experience on several fronts. First, I have been
+exposed to techniques for how to build community consensus. It’s simple stuff: show up at other SIG
+or working group meetings, share your ideas or where you are looking for help, find people who are
+interested and have the knowledge to help, build an action plan together, do it, and share as you
+execute. But the other thing that I’m learning is that building this consensus and executing it in a
+transparent, inviting way simply takes time. 
+
+I also have to be patient with myself and remember that I am learning as I go. The [Kubernetes git
+repo](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes) can be daunting to navigate. Knowing the next best
+step isn’t always obvious. But this is where my third learning curve, how to engage the community
+to get what I need, comes into play. It turns out that asking questions in the [Kubernetes Slack
+workspace](https://slack.k8s.io/) and bringing my topics to the SIG Security meetings when I need
+help is an amazing way to get what I need! Again, simple stuff, but until you do it, it’s not always
+obvious.
+
+## Why you - a beginner - are important to the project
+
+In many ways, beginners are the most important part of the community. To put a finer point on it:
+asking for, receiving, and then giving help is a very relevant part of how the community grows and
+flourishes. When we take on and then pass on knowledge, we ensure that the community grows enough to
+keep supporting the needs of the people who rely on the project, whatever it is. You have
+superpowers as a beginner! 
+
+I hope people who read this post have their curiosity peaked about getting involved in the
+community. It may seem scary. My experience has been such that, about halfway through your first
+step, you realize there are loads of people here who want to help you learn and are excited for you
+expressing interest and trying to participate, and the fear melts away. Sure, I’m still uncertain
+about a few things, but I know the community has my back and will support my growth. 
+
+Come on in, that water’s fine!