1) That's because average developers' FOSS contributions tend to be sparse and low-impact. I have witnessed a number of companies throwing whatever money was n

1) That's because average developers' FOSS contributions tend to be sparse and low-impact. I have witnessed a number of companies throwing whatever money was needed to have language/framework/library authors working with them. I see no reason why the same principle shouldn't be more general. 2) Not necessarily shallow. You can create 1-2 big PRs per project (plus a few small ones), which amounts to 1 week of work per project. The point of going for a variety of projects is that you demonstrate: - proven skill/interest in a whole ecosystem (e.g. Elm) - ability to read/maintain code (going for just one codebase is comparatively easier) - ability to adapt to different standards and people Lastly, high-profile projects have harder barriers-to-entry (therefore you demonstrate better skills), and are more likely to be known by the employer.