When to Leave an Organization

It's okay to outgrow or move on from a project.

Valid Reasons to Leave

1. Project is Unhealthy

• Toxic maintainers
• Hostile community
• Unresponsive to issues
• No clear direction

2. You've Learned What You Came For

I joined to learn:
✓ Django internals → I understand them
✓ How open source works → I get it
✓ Contributing to major project → Done

Now it's time to move on to next challenge.

3. Project Direction Changed

• Went corporate
• Stopped being beginner-friendly
• Now requires deep expertise you don't have
• Technology shifted away from your interests

4. You've Become More Skilled

Time to:

• Take ownership of harder issues
• Move to a more complex project
• Lead in an area that interests you
• Start your own project

5. Project is Dying

Signs:

• Maintenance in life support mode
• No energy for new features
• Community scattered
• Unclear future

How to Leave Well

Closing my involvement with [Project] because [reason].
 
Thank you for:
- Teaching me [skill]
- Connecting me with [community]
- Supporting my growth
 
I'll stay involved with [specific area if applicable].

What NOT to Do

• ❌ Disappear without notice
• ❌ Leave passive-aggressive comments
• ❌ Badmouth the project publicly
• ❌ Delete your contributions
• ❌ Recruit others away from it

Transition to New Project

You're more valuable now:

Before: "I'm new and learning"
After: "I've shipped features in real projects"

Before: "I don't know anything"
After: "I understand open source workflows"

Before: "Help me get started"
After: "I can help others get started"

Staying Connected

You can:

• Follow the project casually
• Help review PRs occasionally
• Mentor new contributors
• Contribute security patches
• Stay in community channels

When You Leave Early

If leaving before making major impact:

• Don't feel guilty
• Your learning has value
• You gave it a fair shot
• Share what you learned

Moving on isn't failure. It's growth. The best contributors know when to level up.