The 2024 Open Source Software Developer Report: How Developers Benefit from Professional Events finds that developers see career progress as a combination of learning new skills, improving existing ones, keeping up with fast-changing technology, and building professional connections. In its survey, 62% rated open source-focused events extremely or very important. Events were valued for learning, networking, and inspiration—but cost, time, and location can make participation difficult.
What is the 2024 Open Source Software Developer Report?
Published by Linux Foundation Research in October 2024, the report examines how developers build technical skills, advance their careers, stay current, and use professional events. Stephen Hendrick and Bianca Trinkenreich authored it; Arun Gupta of Intel wrote the foreword. Intel sponsored the survey.
The report’s central question is what developers need to advance their careers. Its findings connect continuing technical development with awareness of changing technology and relationships with peers. It presents these as complementary needs, rather than alternatives.
Read the report and publisher overview from Linux Foundation Research.
What did developers say matters for career growth?
Respondents placed high importance on both acquiring and strengthening skills, while also keeping pace with changes in technology and succeeding in their current roles.
#1 Best Overall
| Career priority | Respondents rating it important |
|---|---|
| Learning new skills | 99% |
| Improving existing skills | 97% |
| Keeping up with fast-paced technology changes | 96% |
| Demonstrating excellence in a current role | 95% |
These are combined “important” ratings reported by Linux Foundation Research in 2024. The results suggest that career development is not simply about learning the next tool: respondents also valued mastery in their present work and the ability to adapt.
How important were open source events?
In the survey, 62% rated open source-focused events extremely or very important. The report says this rating was higher than for industry-focused and vendor-focused events. Respondents also identified benefits beyond formal instruction: 63% rated finding inspiration and motivation at events as high or extremely high value, while 53% gave that rating to networking opportunities.
As Intel’s Arun Gupta writes in the foreword, “The formal part of the event including keynotes, technical sessions, and hands-on labs provide a guided way of knowledge transfer.” The report also includes an anonymous software architect from Europe, with more than 20 years of experience, saying: “I return from every event full of ideas and eager to follow up on tech tips and recommendations.”
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Among the 181 respondents who answered the event-attendance question, the most frequently selected examples were:
| Event | Share selecting it |
|---|---|
| KubeCon / CloudNativeCon | 40% |
| Open Source Summit | 27% |
| PyCon | 15% |
Respondents could select more than one event, so these percentages are not mutually exclusive. The report also lists regional events, FOSDEM, and other conferences. These are survey responses from 2024, not a current events calendar or an endorsement of any conference.
How should a developer decide whether to attend?
The report’s findings point to several practical factors to weigh before registering:
- Relevance: Look for a strong match with the open source projects, technologies, and communities you work with or want to join.
- What you want to gain: Consider whether the program offers technical learning, useful connections, inspiration, or concrete ways to contribute.
- Total cost: Include admission and travel expenses, not just the ticket price.
- Time and location: Account for time away from work and whether the event is accessible from your region.
- Event focus: Consider whether an open source-focused, industry-focused, or vendor-focused event best serves your goals.
Cost and access are material constraints in the survey. Depending on event category, 49–54% cited attendance cost and 42–48% cited distance or regional availability as barriers. These ranges come from separate questions about different event types and respondent bases, so they should not be read as one combined estimate.
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Who took part, and how should the results be interpreted?
Linux Foundation Research and partners conducted a web survey from June through July 2024. It received 332 completed responses. Participants were recruited through Linux Foundation subscribers, members, partner communities, and social media. Screening required an IT role involving software development—developer or development team manager—and a qualifying employment, study, or job-seeking status.
Best Value
The report describes the sample as representative of the overall developer community. However, its recruitment channels are connected to the Linux Foundation and social media; the percentages are survey results, not a census of all developers. The report gives margins of error of ±4.6% at 90% confidence and ±5.4% at 95% confidence for the 332 responses. Those figures do not eliminate limitations arising from who was reached and chose to participate.
Some results exclude “Don’t know or not sure” responses, which changes the denominator; percentages may also differ slightly from 100% because of rounding. The report’s open source involvement figures, for example, say that 96% of this sample consumed open source: 49% both consumed and contributed, while 47% consumed without contributing.
What does the report say about generative AI learning?
The survey asked which generative AI learning solutions respondents’ organizations would be interested in using. Listed interests included continuous learning and adaptation, interactive learning platforms, personalized learning paths, simulation environments, automation of routine learning tasks, access to global expertise, and up-to-date content. These are reported organizational interests; they do not establish that organizations adopted the solutions or that any particular tool is effective.
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The official report is available from Linux Foundation Research. The findings describe a survey conducted in 2024; event schedules, formats, fees, and travel requirements change, so check current details with event organizers before making plans.
