Remember Pong? That’s how Deb Goodkin got her start. Here, she tells us what time in tech since has taught her so far.
How did you first get interested in a career in software – and open source in particular?
I have to thank my career counselor at the University of California, San Diego, who saw my love for math and advised me to study computer engineering. This was a time when you didn’t grow up with computers. The challenge of writing computer programs from a simple compiler to a Pong game on an oscilloscope gave me a solid foundation for hardware and software. My dream job was to become a computer architect!
After working on embedded systems in the storage industry as a firmware engineer, logic design and applications engineer, the FreeBSD Foundation founder approached me and introduced me to the concept of open source. I was offered the job to run the FreeBSD Foundation and once I started working with our community, I was sold on open source. Most of these folks did it as volunteers! I was impressed with how smart these people were and how welcoming the community was too.
What has been your most memorable career achievement?
Leading our company through the pandemic was one of the most memorable and challenging tasks I have faced. We emerged without letting anyone go and with more money in our reserves.
We emphasized employee well-being and family come first by enacting a no-travel policy and ensuring employees knew they could take paid time off.
As a Foundation, had to change how we interacted with the community. We provided more opportunities for engagement through video series and virtual developer summits. This allowed folks who had never had the opportunity before to attend events. We engaged with the community more, listening to their struggles and questions, and trying to be there for them.
How would you characterize your management philosophy at the FreeBSD Foundation?
We are at a pivotal point in our growth and support of FreeBSD as we define the path for the Foundation’s 2024 activities and beyond. As I lead the team through this period, my management style adapts to embrace the changes needed to take the Project into the future. Ensuring the team understands their roles and responsibilities, providing them the tools they need to do their job and being available for direction and guidance when needed are key activities. It’s important the team has the opportunity to work on interesting and challenging work they are passionate about. As a distributed organization, I also focus on helping the team feel more connected.
I strongly believe there needs to be a work-life balance for everyone. As a runner, I like taking 1-2 hours daily to get my runs in. I want my team to know it’s ok to have flexible work hours. We offer a generous PTO plan, to ensure staff can take time off when needed.
What are a couple of unique challenges leading an open-source software foundation – as compared to a proprietary technology vendor?
The biggest challenge we face is securing funding to support our work. The Foundation receives funding from corporate sponsors, individuals and grants that allow us to help keep the open-source FreeBSD operating system secure, stable and reliable. It’s similar to paying for a product, but what you receive is less tangible.
Another challenge is that the FreeBSD Project is not under our governance, despite our sole purpose to support the Project and community. We work closely with the Project to provide guidance, software development support, and advocacy. However, we cannot tell the Project what to do.
Unlike many other foundations, we are not a trade association that supports the industry. Instead, we are a non-profit 501c3 charity for the public good. But, we are also a tech company that competes directly for top talent with for-profit tech companies like Netflix, Apple and Google. We cannot match the high salaries and other perks offered to software developers by these companies. We developed other ways to attract exceptional software developers to our team and we have a team of passionate and dedicated members who work hard towards our mission.
How has your role evolved in your nearly 20 years as the Foundation’s Executive Director?
My first role at the Foundation was to run the business side while managing the Java binaries project. I was also our accountant, fundraiser and board director. I became the Foundation’s first employee in January 2006. We had a few software developers working on specific contracted projects, while the board members helped run the organization and provide direction.
As we grew, we added team members to fill the critical needs of the Project, including software development, release engineering, cluster administration and advocacy efforts. This team also implemented features and functionality to FreeBSD, supported the Project’s security efforts, increased FreeBSD advocacy and education, built strong relationships with users and grew the Project. We were focused on improving FreeBSD and adding employees who were passionate about our cause.
With a handful of employees and contractors, my role has changed to set our vision, orchestrate the efforts between our team members and engage with our stakeholders.
I’ve been with the Foundation for a long time and continue to find my work challenging and interesting.
What is a technology trend you’re paying close attention to right now, and why?
Two trends are security and AI. Security has always been a top priority in the design and development of FreeBSD. Projects like CheriBSD allow us to further our industry leadership in the overall area of security. We are staying on top of the government cybersecurity guidelines and mandates and ensuring these are incorporated into our design and processes.
AI is the technology trend everyone is talking about and with some of our upcoming projects and technology partnerships, I see FreeBSD growth in this area. More on this in mid-2024!
If you could go back and change one career decision, what would it be?
Cybersecurity. Part of that interest is the fear of what can happen to our digital infrastructure, data and identities. I’ve always tried to understand the foundations of things, whether it’s the hardware that runs our computers, the physics of karate or how my bicycle works. Understanding where security breaches can happen will help me understand how to protect the technology better. I’m not changing my career now, but I have a cybersecurity course ready for me to take through Coursera once I find some free time.
