packages/docs/src/pages/en/blog/state-of-the-union-2024-post-mortem.md
🖊️ John Leider • 📅 March 19th, 2025
<PromotedEntry />Last year, I stood at a crossroads. Balancing the weight of family, a new job, and Vuetify, I realized something had to change. I underestimated how heavy it had become to carry Vuetify forward with dwindling support from the team. I took on a job at Optikka, hoping it would bring stability, but it left me with little energy to dedicate to the framework. I left the State of the Union on a positive note, knowing that there would be challenges ahead, but I was hopeful that we would be able to overcome them.
I had this naive hope Kael could run with Vuetify while I got my bearings, but it's not that kind of machine—it doesn't coast. When he couldn't make it move, it was like a gut check: had we just blown it for everyone who's stuck with us? This isn't just a project—it's who I am, and watching it stall hurt. I'd been drifting in a haze, probably for months, maybe more, wrestling stuff I didn't name until now. These new team members? They're not here to patch a leak. They're the shove I needed to remember why I started, why Vuetify's still worth every ounce we've got.
In December, I knew I had to breathe life back into Vuetify. That meant confronting my mistakes—acknowledging that I hadn't done enough to keep the core team motivated and moving; I had been stuck in an era of thinking that wasn't working anymore. For seven years, I searched for team members the same way, expecting different results. Finding team members organically works in the beginning when hype is high, but when the hype dies down, you need to be more proactive.
I needed to change my approach. I needed to find people who were as passionate about Vuetify as I was, but also willing to step up and take ownership. { .blockquote .border-s-lg }
So I posted a job listing, hoping to find that one person who could inject fresh energy into Vuetify. The response was crazy—over 130 applications poured in (at least I think it's a lot), each one a reminder of how much this community still cares. But as I sifted through them, I kept hitting a wall: one person couldn't carry it all, not anymore. By Day 2, a new question started nagging at me: What if instead of hiring one person, I brought on multiple contributors in focused roles?
That's where it shifted. Some of the sharpest candidates weren't after a full-time gig—many only wanted to give five hours a week. What if we shared the load, each person bringing their strengths? I floated it to them, and their excitement lit up the conversations.
On Day 3, everything clicked, and the enthusiasm for what we could accomplish as a team became undeniable. And when I started seeing how well these individuals fit into key areas of the framework—from NUXT, to component development, documentation, scaffolding, and tooling—it just started making sense.
This isn't some random lineup—it's a crew of passionate coders stepping up to shape Vuetify's future. Together, they'll tackle everything from components to docs to ecosystem tools, adding over 50 years of combined Vuetify experience. Here's who they are:
These Vuetify heavy hitters are joining the existing ranks of core team members, including myself, Kael, and a few others. We're not just adding bodies—we're stacking the team with talent that's ready to dig in and carry this framework forward together.
How do we pay for this dream team? Glad you asked. The Open Collective's got $6,800 coming in monthly, and we're sitting on just over $16,000. With the new hires, that's six months before we're back to bartering with coffee. So, I threw in $5,000 of my own—call it a nudge to see if anyone's paying attention.
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If 30 companies matched me, we'd fund Vuetify for years. You're rolling your eyes, I can feel it—but picture this: you hit that Open Collective link, and suddenly we're not just a team, we're a movement. I've seen this community rally before.
I can't thank this community enough—for sticking with us, for believing in Vuetify even when I faltered. We've lost some along the way, and I own that, but now it's time to build smarter, together. With this team and your support, we'll hit the precision this next chapter demands. How incredible could that be?
If this stirs you, join us on Discord or pitch in directly. Companies using Vuetify, let's shape its future together. This has always been about us—all of us—and it still is.