🥴 Scratch your own itch

A lot of times I get asked

I want to become open source programmer/Embedded Linux programmer Can you help me identify problems I should work on ?

I would tell them, to think about something that bothers them in these areas. Then identify a problem statement and start working on it. Most of OpenSource projects small of big were started this way. They even are developed in this way.

You want to become a kernel programmer ?

A driver for my wierd USB stick does not perform well or has crashes.

OK now you have an itch to scratch.