Becoming a Long-Term Contributor

New Contributor
    ↓ (3-6 months)
Familiar with project
    ↓ (6-12 months)
Go-to person for area X
    ↓ (1-2 years)
Trusted reviewer
    ↓ (2+ years)
Maintainer/Core team

Shallow Contributions (3-6 months):
- Fix a bug or add a small feature
- PR gets merged
- You feel accomplished
- You move on
- Contribution is forgotten
- Career impact: Small

Long-Term Contributions (1-2 years):
- Understand entire codebase
- Fix interconnected issues
- Mentor new contributors
- Shape project direction
- You're essential to project
- Contributions are foundation
- Career impact: Massive

The difference?
One shows you can execute.
The other shows you can THINK.