Better relationships build better technology.

Are you drawn to open source by the dream of empowering users and connecting communities?
To do that, we need more than a license. We need new ways of relating to each other.

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A hospital isn't a building. The building is just a helpful tool. A hospital is a group of people - doctors, nurses, administrative and custodial staff, and of course, patients - who have come together for the purpose of healing. If you were sick, wouldn't you rather go to a group of doctors and nurses without their tools, than an empty hospital building?

Similarly, an open source project isn't a code base or a license. It's a group of people, and the purpose that brings them together.

Do you have a project that's struggling? Too much work to do, and not enough help? Or do people want to help, but you're not sure how they can? Do you need money, or time, or grace, but are afraid to ask? Do you wish you understood your users' needs better? Or are you the user, tired of feeling disempowered and exploited by the technology you use?

The Relational Technology approach can help you.

Relational technology focuses on the relationships behind technology

Too much technology is built by big corporations who don't care about their users, their workers, or the relationships between them. They create exploitative technologies that bring out the worst in people, rather than the best.

Free and open source software is meant to empower people. But we focus too much on code and licenses. Pressed for time and resources, we don't prioritize building strong, accountable, meaningful relationships.

That needs to change. Because good technology is built by people with good relationships.

Not convinced?

Why We Need Relational Tech The Relational Tech Approach

Services

Not sure if any of these services are right for you? Schedule a free consultation call to talk through the challenges you're facing.

Governance Transitions

Help your community shift its structure

Whole Community Sprints

Host an event that welcomes coders and non-coders alike

Onboarding/Leadership Paths

Create clear pathways for people to join your community and grow into leaders

Community Roadmapping

Bring community stakeholders together to map out your project's future

User Engagement

Increase user participation in your project

Finding Funding

Get funding from people with a stake in your work

Project Tours

Update your project and your codebase for easier collaboration

Other Services

Don't see what you need here? Find out about custom services

Check out Relational Tech's ever-growing collection of resources, designed to help you strengthen your relationships with contributors, users, funders, and other partners. See guides to creating psychological safety, detecting burnout, growing contributors into leaders, and more.

See all resources

Smoke Signals: How to Tell If You're Burning Out in Open Source

While maintaining an open source project can be fun and fulfilling, it can also be very draining. Here are some common signs of burnout in open source maintainers.

"It all goes back to what's best for the community": An interview with Python's Carol Willing

Carol Willing was a crucial part of Python's governance transition from a BDFL model to a Steering Council. She served on the first Steering Council and has also been involved with Jupyter and its governance. In this interview, she talks about governance transitions, diversity in tech, and her "guiding star" - education.

On Being and Doing in Open Source

For over a decade, I've been working to help open source newcomers make their first contribution. But what if just being there was contribution enough? And what if the pressure to contribute isn't just a barrier to newcomers, but to maintainers who are burning out?

Relational technology is built by and for people in relationship with each other.

Schedule a free consultation

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