Open sourcing my project feels terrifying. Is this anxiety normal?

I'm currently working on an performance focused image viewer w/ a built-in terminal for Windows and it is open source but I have not announced it anywhere so nobody know about it just yet.

I think it is in a state to start gaining some user feedback & general traction but I have this deep fear that has been planted in my head by SWE Twitter elitism and a strange fear of letting strangers down.

What if people think the code is rubbish? What if people hate the project? What if nobody contributes? What if it just ends up being an embarrassing mess of a project that nobody cares about?

I know all of these thoughts are so silly but I just can't shake that feeling when I start having eyes on my project & code. I am really proud of it and personally love the project, I'm just worried others won't feel that way.

On a less personal note: How do you guys go about announcing OSS projects? I'm considering posting on the HN Show section & my person Twitter (to my 50 followers haha). Are there any other places people might enjoy seeing this sort of thing?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated - this is going to be my first time in ~a decade of writing software that I open source & market my project. All these years of building in the dark and now everyone will be able to look at it!

1 points | by Tinos 8 hours ago

3 comments

  • pcmaffey 7 hours ago
    Everyone looks back at their old code with cringe. But more importantly you look back at the things you did and know you gave it your best with what you knew at the time. If on the other hand you decide not to do the thing then you will forever rob yourself of the chance to learn. So think of it as a gift to your future self. If nothing comes of it, whatever. That’s the normal course of things… On to the next one.
  • codingdave 8 hours ago
    > What if people think the code is rubbish? What if people hate the project? What if nobody contributes? What if it just ends up being an embarrassing mess of a project that nobody cares about?

    Are you only doing the project because you want other people to approve of it? If so, then these are great questions. And if they all come to pass, you'll need to pick yourself up, dust off, and try something else.

    On the other hand, if you have your own reasons for doing your project, all these things could come to pass but you could still keep on doing it for your own reasons.

    So really, all those "What if.." questions are not for us to answer, but for you.

    [-]
    • Tinos 8 hours ago
      The project was originally built just for personal use as I was just so frustrated by how boring Windows image viewers are.

      I think part of my anxiety comes from the fact that I’m also working on shaping my online presence to improve employability and my GitHub profile is something employers often look at.

      I wish this was just about sharing what I love, but it has also become a strategic move which makes a positive launch feel more high-stakes than it probably should.

  • collingreen 4 hours ago
    For better or worse, chances are nobody cares about your project and nobody cares about the code. Don't let fear stop you from publishing a cool thing you did even if nobody will sing your praises. It's cool to make cool things and publishing the source helps other people make cool things too!

    My advice is to decide what you want to get out of open sourcing the project and then use that as a way to think about your emotional response.

    Congrats on making something!