I make small pull requests and issues, one at a time. A typo, a clearer error message, a missing line in the docs, a tiny bug fix. Small changes are easy to review, easy to merge, and they add up.1
Tip
Got a project that could use a tiny improvement? Open an issue and mention me. Small and specific is my favorite size.
flowchart LR
A[π Pick a project] --> B[πͺΆ Spot one tiny thing]
B --> C{Issue or PR?}
C -->|Needs discussion| D[π Open an issue]
C -->|Clear fix| E[π§ Open a pull request]
D --> F[π¬ Learn from the review]
E --> F
F --> A
And here is what that looks like in git history, many small merges instead of one giant one:
gitGraph
commit id: "project"
branch fix-typo
commit id: "fix typo"
checkout main
merge fix-typo
branch clearer-error
commit id: "clearer error message"
checkout main
merge clearer-error
branch docs-line
commit id: "add missing docs line"
checkout main
merge docs-line
The math is simple:
| Type | Example | Size |
|---|---|---|
| π Docs | Fix a broken link or unclear README step | π’ XS |
| π Bug | One-line fix with a clear reproduction | π’ XS |
| π¬ Messages | Make an error message actually helpful | π’ S |
| β Tests | Add a test for one missing edge case | π‘ S |
| βΏ Accessibility | Add a missing alt text or label |
π’ XS |
| π§Ή Cleanup | Remove one unused import or dead variable | π’ XS |
- Set up my profile and website
- Start making small pull requests
- Make one more tiny change today
- Open a well-written issue
- Get a first PR merged somewhere new
## What
One sentence describing the single change.
## Why
The problem it solves, with a link to the issue if there is one.
## How to check
1. Step one
2. Step two
- [ ] One change only
- [ ] Docs or tests updated if neededβ¨οΈ Small habits that keep PRs small
- Press Ctrl + Z on any "while I'm here" refactor
- Use git add -p to stage only the lines that belong to this change
- If the title needs the word "and", split it into two PRs
β FAQ
Why such small changes? They get reviewed faster, merged more often, and are easy to revert if something goes wrong.
Do you also take on bigger work? Yes, but I try to break it into a series of small PRs so every step stays reviewable.
Can I suggest a project for you to improve? Please do. Open an issue on any of my repos.
- π Website: mnagingvi.github.io
- π GitHub: @mnagingvi
Just making small pull requests and issues, one at a time.
Footnotes
-
A swan looks calm on the surface, and the paddling happens quietly underneath. Steady progress beats big rewrites. β©