Max Stoiber has had a remarkable career in open source. He's the creator of styled-components, a popular CSS-in-JS library, and co-founded Spectrum, a community platform that was acquired by GitHub and eventually influenced GitHub Discussions. Now, he's at OpenAI, working on ChatGPT's plugin directory and app platform.
In a recent podcast, Max reflected on his journey. He talked about the hundreds of open source projects he's started that nobody remembers, alongside the big ones that took off. He emphasized that the value of open source isn't always in the code itself—it's in the learning, the connections, and the visibility it brings.
From Spectrum to GitHub Discussions
Spectrum was built to give communities a better place to gather. After GitHub acquired it, the team's work helped shape GitHub Discussions, which has become a staple for project collaboration. Max noted that being part of that transition was a formative experience.
Building Stellate and the Dual Acquisition
After Spectrum, Max co-founded Stellate, a GraphQL caching and edge service. The company was so successful that it attracted interest from both Shopify and The Guild, leading to a dual acquisition. Max described this as a validation of the team's focus on developer experience.
Why ChatGPT Apps Feel Different
Today, Max is excited about the new surface for software that ChatGPT apps represent. He sees plugins as a way to extend the assistant's capabilities, making it a platform in its own right. He believes this will change how we think about building and distributing software.
Advice for Open Source Developers
Max's advice: share your work, even if it doesn't become famous. The act of creating and sharing builds your skills and reputation. And sometimes, one of those projects will change your career.
His story is a testament to the power of open source, persistence, and adapting to new opportunities. From styled-components to OpenAI, Max has consistently been at the forefront of developer tools.