Why I’m Writing This

For the past several years, I’ve dedicated myself to creating and maintaining open source tools that thousands of developers use daily. My R packages—including cpp11armadillo, capybara, gravity, tabulapdf, pointblank, and others—have found their way into workflows across aerospace, retail, pharmaceuticals, and countless other industries. Every GitHub issue gets a response. Every email gets answered. This isn’t just code to me; it’s a commitment to the community that has given me so much.

The Reality Behind the Code

I’m a PhD student from the developing world, pursuing my research in a country where the cost of living far exceeds what I knew back home. While I’ve always believed in keeping my work open and accessible to all, I find myself at a crossroads.

My scholarship payments have been delayed for nearly three months. Meanwhile, rent doesn’t wait, and neither does the need for food. I’ve been selling guitar pedals that I design to get a vintage tone in the XXI century inspired by Queen and Dr. Sir Brian May, which was initially a hobby to build pedals for friends that has become a small source of income (better than nothing). You can find my pedals here: https://www.instagram.com/maplebooster/.

A Reluctant Request

I’ve always believed that open source should remain open, and I still do. Before considering commercializing my software or putting content behind paywalls, I’m reaching out to the community that has made this work meaningful.

If my packages have saved you time, solved a problem, or simply made your day a bit easier, please consider supporting this work with a small contribution. Think of it not as charity, but as an investment in the continued development and maintenance of tools you rely on.

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Moving Forward

Despite these challenges, I’m not slowing down. This week, I’m relaunching my YouTube channel to share more knowledge with the community—adding teaching to an already full PhD workload because, well, necessity is a powerful motivator.

Your support—whether through donations, sharing this message, or simply continuing to use and provide feedback on my packages—means more than you know. It’s what keeps me going during late nights debugging, writing documentation, and ensuring that these tools remain freely available to everyone who needs them.

A Note of Gratitude

To those who have already supported my work through code contributions, bug reports, or kind words: thank you. You remind me why I chose this path. To those considering support: know that every contribution, no matter how small, directly enables the continuation of this work.

The open source ecosystem thrives on mutual support. Today, I’m asking for yours.

With appreciation and hope,
Pacha

P.S. If you can’t contribute financially, sharing this message with others who might benefit from my work would be incredibly helpful. The open source community has always been about more than just code—it’s about supporting each other.