Interview with Mia Bajić
In this edition of Working Together for Free Software, Free Software Foundation (FSF) program manager Miriam Bastian interviews Mia Bajić, a software engineer with a passion for building communities. Mia is mainly active in the European Python community.
FSF: What's your role in the Python community?
Mia: I'm the vice chair of the EuroPython Society, a nonprofit that supports Python communities across Europe and organizes the EuroPython conference series. I'm also involved with local events in Prague. My journey in the Python community started with Pyvo, a local Python meetup group in Prague, where I became a co-organizer. Wanting to contribute on a larger scale, I co-organized PyCon CZ 2023. That experience led me to EuroPython, which has been hosted in Prague for the past two years and again in 2025. It's an even larger and international conference with a broader impact. I was also the main organizer of Python Pizza Prague, a smaller, more informal event with 10-minute talks.
FSF: What advice do you have for organizers who want to build and foster a thriving community?
Mia: Start by knowing what kind of community you want to build. What is its mission? What are its core values? The answers to these questions will guide every decision you make. Also, don't organize alone. Partnering with a nonprofit that handles administrative, legal, and financial matters makes things easier in the long run. Build a team of people you genuinely enjoy working with, and think about who will take over when you eventually step back. Since organizing is volunteer work, sustainability is very important: everyone reaches a point where they need to move on, whether due to shifting priorities or just life. Finally, stay involved and most importantly, listen. Get regular feedback from different members, not just the loudest voices.
FSF: What role does community play in free software?
Mia: If you look at the Python ecosystem, the projects with strong communities and good documentation are the ones that thrive. The Python web framework Django is a great example. It's not just technically good, but also popular, largely due to its community. Community makes software like Django accessible, usable, and sustainable. If there's no documentation and no one around to help, people will pick a different program even if it's technically worse. Even the best-written software is useless if no one knows how to use it.
FSF: What are some ways people can get involved in the Python community?
Mia: The best way is to start local. See if there are any meetups nearby that you can attend, give a talk, or help organize. If there's a PyLadies chapter near you, consider coaching or supporting them. Bigger conferences like EuroPython are also great entry points. People in the Python community are friendly, welcoming, and always happy to help newcomers.
FSF: Thanks for sharing your advice on building free software communities, Mia! We hope it will encourage others to do the same.
Working together for free software
This article was submitted as part of the Free Software Foundation's Working Together series. See also Mia's profile at https://www.fsf.org/working-together/profiles/mia-bajic.