How Open Source Projects Survive When Their Creator Dies

When a critical open-source developer dies, who takes over? This episode examines the systematic side of project succession — the legal, technical, and social structures that keep code alive after its creator is gone. Lucas and Luna walk through the 2021 death of core Node.js contributor Ian Sutherland, how the community handled his modules, and how the Linux Foundation's TSC protocol actually worked in that case. They also look at the legal transfer of the curl project's assets when Daniel Stenberg was hit by a car in 2023 — the 'bus factor' made real. Practical, grounded, and sobering for anyone who maintains or depends on open-source software. #OpenSource #BusFactor #ProjectSuccession #IanSutherland #DanielStenberg #CurlProject #NodeJS #LinuxFoundation #DigitalWill #CodeMaintenance #TechSuccession #VolunteerOps #OpenSourceGovernance #CommunityDriven #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Technology #OpenSourceWithFexingo Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo