How curiosity, Kubernetes, and community shaped my open source journey

From retro tech to homelabs, code to friendships: A developer's unexpected journey.

Justin Garrison sat down with the All Things Open team to share how open source shaped his path, from typing college papers on a $50 Linux PC to building a career in tech and finding community through Kubernetes. What began as a budget-friendly tool grew into a meaningful way to learn, work, and connect with others. For Justin, the friendships and shared experiences in open source matter as much as the code itself.

He also talked about his passion for modern retro computing, driven by a sense of missed history. By restoring old tech like DD-WRT routers and mixing in Raspberry Pis, Justin explores the nostalgia to understand the system and design restraints. His DIY homelab serves as low-cost learning labs, offering insights into system design while making room for creativity.

Curiosity, Justin says, is the foundation of innovation. He draws on thinkers like Da Vinci and Darwin to highlight how breakthroughs often happen at the edge of disciplines. Staying curious across fields can spark ideas you wouldn’t find by going deep in one area alone. Whether it’s building better systems or learning from nature, the key is connecting concepts and thinking slowly.

Read more: Why Kubernetes is essential for AI and open source projects in 2025

Key takeaways

• Start where you are: Justin’s journey began with an affordable Linux machine and a desire to learn—showing that entry into tech doesn’t require expensive tools or formal pathways.
• Curiosity drives creativity: Exploring different disciplines and drawing parallels—like between biology and resilient systems—can lead to fresh ideas and better solutions.
• Be intentional at events: Stay off your phone, focus on people, and follow up by writing or teaching—actions that help solidify learning and grow your network.

Conclusion

Justin’s story is a reminder that open source is about more than software. It’s about community, curiosity, and showing up. This can happen through contributing code, building retro projects, or simply sharing what you’ve learned. For developers looking to grow, his message is simple: Be present, be curious, and pass it on.

Check out the entire We Love Open Source podcast series.

More from We Love Open Source

• Why Kubernetes is essential for AI and open source projects in 2025
• Trends in open source and building a home lab to create a mini data center
• FreeDOS 1.4 is the retrocomputing system you’ve been waiting for
• Explore the five steps of the FreeDOS boot sequence
• A throwback experiment with Linux and Unix