Getting updates out to connected devices is becoming a common requirement, and there are numerous ways and solutions to archive that. When it comes to RTOS or even bare metal µC platforms, their flexibility is a key concern. Does a solution: - Encourage third party clients and extensions? - Support arbitrary architectures and payloads? - Have open interfaces for CI/CD pipeline integration? - Allow self-hosting? Taking this wishlist, Mender community member Joël Guittet set out to create an implementation for a development board he happened to have lying around: the ESP32. Just a few days later he came up with a proof of concept, and the properly documented and licensed release followed suit. Yet he didn’t stop there. “What about Zephyr?” he asked, and went back to action. It wouldn’t take long again. In early February 2023, Joël opened a new repository on GitHub. The name: “mender-stm32l4a6-zephyr-example” This presentation tells the story of community engagement, how it makes things happen, and the value of being committed to open source. And the value of opening your mind beyond what you know.