This content provides actionable advice for aspiring participants of Google Summer of Code (GSoC), emphasizing early preparation, strategic project selection, and community engagement to increase chances of selection and maximize personal growth.
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So if you want to get selected in Google
Summer of Code next year, make sure you
watch this video. I will share my top
two tips that helped me in getting
selected in my first year of university.
Now before I get started, I want to
share that uh we are running a week-long
hackathon next week. It's called backend
reloaded. So you're going to learn how
to build backend systems using
open-source AI tools like Moshia. We're
giving away $3,000 in cash. Lots of uh
prizes to be won. G-Soft mentorship, a
lot of swag, and over 50% people who are
taking part are first- timers. So,
you're going to learn a lot and you're
going to build a lot. So, if you have
not yet gotten into back-end
development, make sure you check it out.
There's going to be a lot of fun and
you're going to learn a lot of amazing
things and you're going to get a chance
to win uh $3,000 in cash as well, which
is a decent amount. So, the links uh you
can find on vmakedevs.org
or I'll leave it in the, you know,
somewhere in the links below as well,
but just go to vmakedevs and you'll find
it. Okay. Okay. So, Google Summer of
Code. So, for those of you who don't
know, Google Summer of Code is a program
by Google which promotes open source
contributions. It's not just for
university students. I think I think
anyone can take part now, but I would
encourage you to check the rules
website. I did Gogo in my freshman year
and then I was a mentor, but it's been a
few years. Um, so some of the open
source organizations like top open
source organizations are going to apply
to GOC. get selected and then the
students or the individuals like us we
apply to the organizations and then the
organizations are like okay I'm going to
select this person I'm going to select
this person so the person who gets
selected works with the organization
let's say red hat middleware or pietorch
or numpy or whatever they work with that
organization for a period of 3 months I
think over the summer and they get like
a hefty stipen for it as well I think
$3,000 $5,000 I don't know check it on
the website it's not important Um, and
that's it. And then, uh, you get to work
with the mentors. It's like an online
internship sort of a thing, but it's not
an internship. Um, because you're not an
intern at Google. You're even not an
intern at that um, organization, but
it's kind of like an internship. There's
not official title that is internship.
It's like an educational program, you
know, like the MLH fellowship. Um, so
that's that and uh, gotten quite
popular. A lot of people take part. A
lot of people from all over the world
take part. Uh thousands of students
obviously quite competitive which is
kind of ironic cuz it's not the open
source period. But anyway, I'm just
going to share with you how you can get
started. All the legal bits and
everything you can find on the website
like the timeline and everything. So
I'll share with you two things uh about
some tips like two tips that will help
you get selected and the third tip I'll
share with you is how to make your
Google Summer of Code proposal. So you
have to make a proposal and the mentor
will accept your proposal, the
maintainers of the project and then you
start working with the organization.
Okay. Tip number one, start early. Very
important. Um you can literally get
started right now. When I started
contributing, I didn't even know what
Google Summer of Code is. I just started
contributing cuz I met someone at a
meetup and they're like, "Oh, you do
Java, you can contribute to Red Hat."
I'm like, "Okay, cool." And then I
started contributing and because I was
contributing irrespectively
um it it it was just like um when the
G-Soft period came the maintainer was
like oh can by the way you should apply
to this and I'm like okay sure I did and
then I got selected um he also told me
about the Linux Foundation scholarship
for travel when I went to San Diego at
in CubeCon 2019 I didn't even know about
that but my GSOC men mentor told me
about it so I learned a lot just while
contributing I was just like I just want
to get started So, won't waste too much
of your time on this. I did a podcast
with Logan who works at Google um around
Google Summer of Code. Make sure you
check that out. It's quite detailed. But
start early. Start today. Pick your organization
organization
um and uh you know uh just get started
with it. I don't have anything prepared
for this video. It's like whatever's
coming in my mind, I'm just sharing it.
So, I'll share some quick tips as well.
Um but yeah, uh before I forget, don't
pick too many organizations. I mean if
you have the time sure but I'm pretty
sure you're busy with your university or
your job or whatever. So just pick one
organization and start contributing to
maybe one or two projects in that
organization. That organization has to
be really good. I mean something that is
being used by people around the world
because especially if you want it to be
good impact on your resume. It it helps
if you're contributing to big projects
like cubernetes for example. So you can
just pick nice projects. Um but other
than that like yeah I mean whatever
interests you I think that's more
important. Another question people will
ask how do I find these organizations?
It's all on the Google Simulator code
website. Another question people ask how
do I know which organization will get
selected? Um an organization that is
being select getting selected for the
past few years high chances it will get
selected this year. Um but uh even if it
doesn't get selected and it's a really
popular project you will still get all
the benefits of Google Summer of Code
and other things. I know the money can
be a bit um you know um lucrative like
okay I'm getting $3,000 $5,000 in cash.
I used to be like that as well cuz I was
broke when I was a kid. Trust me in the
long run it doesn't matter. Um I don't
even remember what I used it for. I
think I got a Mac Mac or something. Um
in the long run it doesn't I'm now
running hackathons where we are giving
away $20,000 in cash. So see how far
I've grown and I graduated like 2 three
years ago. So my money is fine. What's
more important is contribute to a nice
project. Build your resume. Have that
baseline in your career. That will help
you grow in your field. And I mean
obviously I mean money is important
especially if you come from a not so
wealthy background and you need the
money then $3 $4,000 $5,000 is a lot of
money. But yeah, if you want to win
prizes, check out VM Make Devs. Like I
mentioned, we're running a hackathon
with Moshia. We're running a hackathon
this weekend as well. You can find it on
the website. $20,000 in cash. next week
with Moshia $3,000 in cash. Awesome
event. You're going to learn how to
build backend systems with AI. So check
it out. Register if you haven't already
solo or uh in a team. Register solo as
well. Have fun. Um so that's tip number
one. Start early. How I shared how to
pick projects. I shared how to do
everything. So that's cool. And then uh
tip number two would be um this is what
helped me getting in selected in GOC. I
applied to an organization which was
quite overwhelming for a lot of people
like cubernetes. A lot of people were
like uh you know how students are they
just do web development and whatever.
Not a lot of people were doing
cubernetes. It was just me and this
other guy working on it. We both applied
and we both got selected.
So I think that was a good call on my
end because then I got introduced to
Kubernetes and you know rest is history.
I now work with Kubernetes. Um my entire
career has been Kubernetes and AI. So
that helped as well cuz there was no
competition you know only two of us
applied both of us get selected. So you
find a an upcoming technology or
something like that in Google s of code
organization something that is being
used by people around the world and
you're like no this is too difficult I'm
not going to be contributing to this I
can't do it I would say do it your
chances would probably increase cuz not
many people will apply to it because
they feel like it's difficult. So a lot
of students
apply for like web development projects
and things like that and mobile
development projects. So that's that
those are my two tips. I mean that's
what helped me. Um but yeah, it's not an
internship at Google. You don't increase
your chances of working at Google. Um if
someone tells you like uh Google is
going to hire via Google Summer of Code,
that's that's a lie. That's not true. Um
obviously it helps, but you don't have
to do Google Summer of Code in order to
get that recognition from Google. Even
if you're contributing to any nice
project apart from Google Summer of
Code, Google is still going to value
that. So don't worry about it. You can
still put that on your resume. Which is
why I say don't worry about getting
selected in GSOG. Just think about these
organizations are looking for beginners
to contribute and that is why it's a
really nice thing even if you don't get
selected because you know at least you
will get that attention. If you go into
the cubernetes uh community right now
you want to contribute to Kubernetes
because that organization is like one of
the largest projects in the world.
People feel like it's not going to be
easy to contribute but if you think
about it they take part in like GOG they
take part in uh LFX mentorship and
outreachy and whatnot. I don't know. So
biggest project in the world, easiest
project to easiest project to get into
overwhelming yes but people will help
you and mentors will help you,
maintainers will help you. That is what
I would recommend. My two tips uh little
brain dump I will do on you right now.
Um some quick quick tips. Um by the way
if you haven't registered for the event
the hackathon Moshia event please do so.
Share with your friends as well and once
you register share it on socials also.
will help me quite a lot to run more of
these amazing hackathons for free for
you. Um, quick tips, don't treat it like
a competition. Some people are like, "Oh
no, I want to get my PR merged. I will
not get their PR merged or whatever."
No, if you actively help people in the
community, the maintainers will see
that. So, they will appreciate that. If
you review someone else's code, if
someone is already assigned a pull
request, don't just make a PR for that.
Ask them if they need any help. If there
hasn't been an update on a long time,
then you can just in a long time then
you can just tag the maintainer like hey
this person hasn't been working on it.
Can I work on it and just tag the person
as well like do you need any help? Can I
do it? Um don't spam the maintainers in
DMs. Always ask questions in public. Uh
do your research before you ask a
question. Make it easy for people to
answer your question. Um don't be like
I'm stuck here. No, just Oh, getting a
call. Yeah, don't be like I'm stuck here
or whatever. Uh just ask uh good
questions. Tell them enough context like
hey this is the error I'm getting. This
is what I tried. This is what it led to
and this is all the things I did. Now
I'm stuck. What do I do? Okay. Be kind.
Don't spam. Don't be rude. A lot of
people are like oh no you're not
reviewing my PR and they get angry in
the in the GOC channel. Don't do that.
Have empathy. Don't boast. Don't brag.
Help others. Be kind. Um don't worry
about getting selected. just worry about
making an impression and you know good
impression and being a contributor and
everything. So I know people who didn't
get selected in GSOC and then they were
Google Summer of Code mentor. Okay. So
please don't worry about it. Money is
important. I understand that's lucrative
but in the long run when you are making
millions and millions of dollars if you
are a good engineer or hundreds and
thousands at least these things won't
matter. So please do that. Um those are
my only tips. Lastly go to vmdes.org. We
are running Google Summer code
mentorship for every single person who
takes part in the Moshia hackathon.
We're going to give personalized Google
Summer code mentorship. We did it for
we're doing it for this current
hackathon as well. But since it's like
you know it's ending tomorrow, you can
apply to the Moshia hackathon next week
and we'll do another Google Summer code
mentorship. Everyone who applies will
get a mentorship. We'll do like a closed
group and we're going to you're going to
learn how to build backend systems with
AI as well. So please share with your
friends. Register now and see you
Monday. Uh any questions let me know in
the comments or if you if this is being
posted on socials yeah comments or reply
below and I'll make sure I answer those
questions and uh the links for the
hackathon can be found on vm make devs
as well or below. All right see yeah
share with your friends if you found it
useful and good luck for Google summer
of code proposal how to make that I'll
actually share it in the Moshia um GOC
mentorship session. So if you want to
learn about how to build a right
proposal for Google Summer of Code, make
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