Building Trust in Open Source: Seth Larson's Journey from Maintainer to Security Leader

In this episode of What’s in the SOSS, host Yesenia Yser sits down with Seth Larson, Security Developer in Residence at the Python Software Foundation, as he shares his unique perspective on open source security. From his Minneapolis base, Seth discusses his journey from urllib3 maintainer to leading security initiatives across the Python ecosystem. In this episode, we explore how public documentation shapes security work, the importance of supporting maintainers both technically and emotionally, and the art of building trust in open source communities. Seth also shares insights on engaging with academic communities, the evolution of secure-by-default practices, and his approach to making security accessible without disrupting existing workflows. Plus, don't miss our rapid-fire segment where Seth reveals his love for retro Nintendo games and PyCharm over traditional editors!

Episode Chapters

00:00Introduction & Seth's Background

02:30The Power of Public Documentation

07:00Supporting Open Source Maintainers 

12:00Engaging Academic Communities 

18:00Seth's 10-Year Open Source Journey 

22:00Rapid Fire Round

25:00Closing Advice

Episode links:

• Seth Larson’s LinkedIn page
• Python Software Foundation
• Seth’s Security Blog
• Get involved with the OpenSSF
• Subscribe to the OpenSSF newsletter
• Follow the OpenSSF on LinkedIn