FAQ

Reader questions, searchable

Type a keyword; we keep limitations visible on purpose.

Eligibility

I have never pushed to GitHub in public. Is that a blocker?

No. First Merge Cohort assumes private practice until you are ready. We do expect you to finish a short git primer so live sessions stay focused on review culture rather than install issues.

Time

How many hours should I budget weekly?

Most programs list eight to ten hours. Patch Packaging Week is denser at twelve hours because of the intensive rewrite cycles. We publish the hour range on each program page so you can compare honestly.

Limitations

Do you place me as a maintainer on a project?

No. Maintainer relationships stay between you and upstream teams. We coach communication and evidence, but we do not negotiate roles on your behalf.

Payments

Are prices negotiable for student clubs?

We sometimes run subsidized blocks with universities. Clubs should email hello@maxprosystem.one with expected headcount and term dates. We still publish standard pricing on the site for transparency.

Format

Can I join remotely from outside Korea?

Yes for remote-first programs. Hybrid blocks list studio location in Seoul; recordings exist for unavoidable clashes but we encourage attending the first in-person day when listed.

Evidence

Will I definitely merge upstream?

We cannot promise maintainer decisions. We design pathways where merges are realistic, and we help you pivot if scope shifts. That uncertainty is part of working in public ecosystems.

Privacy

Do you record live reviews?

Only when everyone on the call opts in. Default is notes-first with optional short audio clips you control.

Accessibility

Do you support reduced motion preferences?

Yes. The site respects your OS setting, and live sessions avoid flashing demos when someone flags sensitivity.

Aftercare

What happens when the cohort ends?

You keep templates and checklists. We host a monthly alumni thread for lightweight questions, but deep review cycles pause until you join another paid block.

From our cohorts — timeline

Alternating notes from recent programs. Formats vary on purpose.

“Issue Triage Field Notes forced me to write duplicate links instead of guessing. Still slow on security labels, but I know what to ask now.”

Client in open source education

“Git Signals Lab reframed bisect as detective work. I send shorter CI snippets to reviewers.”

Client in hardware tooling

“Portfolio Evidence Studio cut two vanity bullets the night of the mock skim.”

“I still reuse the screenshot ethics checklist when refreshing my personal site.”

Mixed notes · same cohort night

“Maintainer Tone Clinic plus Advanced Reviewer Studio gave me a comment rubric our team adopted for dependency bumps.”

Daeun Han · Senior engineer · Riverlight Systems

“First Merge Cohort kept scope tight; mentor nudges on my cover letter stopped me from overselling a draft PR.”

Leo Park · Bootcamp graduate · Node Seoul Guild

Seoul · “Patch Packaging Week is loud but precise.”

4.3/5 on a post-clinic survey · “Maintainer Tone Clinic rewired how I decline drive-by requests without ghosting people.”

Jiwoo · Maintainer apprentice · Fabric Guild