Code can be easily rewritten, community cannot.

Healthy projects attract contributors even when founders move on.

Incubation teaches community-building as much as compliance.

"Community Over Code" is a core ASF principle.

The ASF model relies on merit earned through contribution and trust.

Projects graduate when they show self-governance and diversity, not just technical strength.

Formation: a few founders or sponsors propose the podling.

Engagement: first contributors join and begin to build trust.

Expansion: roles diversify, committers, reviewers, release managers.

Sustainability: the project self-governs with minimal mentor oversight.

Document how to contribute (README, CONTRIBUTING, website).

Label “good first issues” and mentor newcomers.

Welcome all forms of contribution, docs, design, testing, discussion.

Encourage and recognize new contributors early, recognition builds belonging.

Provide a clear “How to Contribute” section on the website.

Explain the patch workflow, review process, and voting culture.

Assign mentors or “buddies” for first-time contributors.

Encourage experienced contributors to mentor others in turn.

Be patient and supportive, learning The Apache Way takes time.

Recognize sustained effort, not status.

Nominate new committers and PPMC members openly and transparently.

Avoid “in-crowds” or hidden decision-making.

Encourage shared ownership and delegate trust, empower others to lead.

Pair recognition with empowerment, trust contributors with meaningful work.

Highlight achievements in release notes or blog posts.

Delegate trust early, give contributors visible roles.

Involve community members in planning discussions.

Celebrate milestones.

Recognize ongoing, behind-the-scenes contributions.

Aim for participation from multiple organizations.

Encourage contributors from different time zones and backgrounds.

Watch for dominance by a single vendor or employer.

Share responsibilities broadly.

Engage with related ASF projects (e.g., reusing libraries, sharing governance patterns).

Ask questions on dev@community.apache.org.

Participate in Community Over Code events and other conferances.

Observe how other projects handle releases, governance, and mentorship.

Learn from others, but adapt, don’t copy.

Default to open mailing lists (dev@ > private channels).

Write in clear, simple English.

Summarize off-list discussions publicly.

Assume good faith and patience with newcomers.

Use private@ only for sensitive issues (personnel, security, CoC).

Encourage respectful collaboration, follow the ASF Code of Conduct.

Address issues early through calm, factual discussion.

Separate people from problems.

Seek consensus, not victory.

Escalate respectfully when necessary.

Rotate responsibilities like release management or reporting.

Appreciate invisible work, moderation, review, testing.

Encourage contributors to take breaks.

Avoid over-reliance on any single individual.

Number of active committers and contributors.

Distribution of commits across individuals and organizations.

Mailing list participation and tone.

Release cadence and shared responsibility.

More than three active committers from at least two organizations.

Regular releases managed by the podling, not mentors.

Friendly and responsive dev@ interactions.

Mentors’ involvement decreases as the podling gains confidence.

Maturity Model areas: Community, Governance, Licensing, Releases, Independence.

Strong communities demonstrate openness and shared responsibility.

Use the model as a readiness guide, not a box-ticking exercise.

Mentors guide, PPMC leads.

Independence is earned through demonstrated governance.

The project must sustain itself beyond mentorship.

The PPMC owns day-to-day governance.

Mentors guide and advise but don’t direct decisions.

Encourage the PPMC to lead votes, reviews, and reports.

Gradually shift responsibility as confidence grows.

Reliance on one company for commits or resources.

Off-list decision-making.

Inactive mentors or PPMC.

No committer growth or recognition of new contributors.

Keep adding new committers regularly.

Maintain transparency and vendor neutrality.

Document lessons learned for future contributors.

Community is the true measure of success.

Mentorship leads to self-governance.

Diversity and openness ensure resilience.

Communication keeps trust alive.

The Apache Way sustains projects beyond individuals.

Building community is everyone’s responsibility.

Healthy communities embody ASF values every day.

The goal of incubation is self-sustaining governance and collaboration.