🎓 Welcome to ASF Mentor Training

Supporting Projects Using the Apache Way

Table of Contents

  • 🧭 ASF Values & Culture

  • 🚀 Releases & Graduation

  • 👥 Community & Oversight

  • 🧑‍🏫 Mentoring in Practice

  • 💥 Handling Conflict

  • 🧠 Wrap-Up & Resources

What You’ll Learn

  • 🧭 ASF Values & Culture - What makes The ASF different

  • 🚀 Releases & Graduation - Processes and pitfalls

  • 👥 Community & Oversight - Building sustainable projects

  • 🧑‍🏫 Mentoring in Practice - What mentors actually do

  • 💥 Handling Conflict - Resolution and escalation

  • 🧠 Wrap-Up & Resources - Where to go next

ASF Values & Culture

🌍 ASF Culture: The Foundation of Everything

Understanding the values that make The ASF unique

Core Values

  • 👥 Community over Code

  • 🌟 Meritocracy: Earned through contribution

  • 🗳️ Consensus-driven decision-making

  • 🔍 Transparency in all actions

Why It Matters

  • 🆚 Distinguishes The ASF from vendor-led models

  • 🌱 Enables sustainable growth

  • 🤝 Builds trust and inclusion

Red Flags to Watch For

  • 🔒 Private decision-making

  • 🪖 Leadership by title or company role

  • 🤐 Silent or disengaged community

  • 🏢 Over-reliance on one company

Mentor’s Role (Values & Culture)

  • 💬 Model and reinforce ASF values

  • 👀 Spot and address misalignments

  • 🙌 Encourage openness and merit

ASF Governance: Where Mentors Fit In

  • 👥 The ASF Board → Oversees all ASF projects and PMCs

  • 🏢 IPMC → Manages incubation and mentors podlings

  • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 PPMC → Runs the day-to-day of the podling

  • 🧑‍🏫 Mentors → Bridge between The ASF and the podling

Releasing at Apache

🚀 Community, Not Just Code

Releases are not just technical, they’re community milestones

What Is an ASF Release?

  • ✅ Approved by vote (PPMC and IPMC)

  • 🧾 Legal and license-compliant

  • 🌐 Distributed via ASF infrastructure

Key Steps in Releasing

  • 🛠️ Prepare artifacts + LICENSE/NOTICE

  • 📣 Call a [VOTE] on PPMC dev@

  • 👍 Get 3+ binding +1 votes

  • 📣 Call a [VOTE] on incubator general@

  • 👍 Get 3+ binding +1 votes

  • 🧾 Close with [RESULT]

  • 📤 Announce + distribute

Common Pitfalls in Releases

  • ⚠️ Missing or wrong license headers

  • 🧩 Bundled compiled code

  • 🧩 Non-compatible or unknown-license 3rd party code

  • 🧾 Incorrect or incomplete LICENSE and NOTICE files

Mentor’s Role (Releases)

  • 👣 Walk them through the process

  • 🧼 Review for clarity and correctness

  • 🙋 Encourage asking questions early

ASF Branding & Trademarks

🎨 Branding isn’t just visual - it’s how the project represents The ASF

Branding Rules

  • 📛 Respect ASF branding and naming guidelines

  • 🏷️ Use “Apache Foo (incubating)” during incubation

  • 🚫 Avoid project names that are already trademarked

ASF Name Misuse

  • 🏢 Don’t use the ASF Name to promote vendor products

  • 🔗 ASF project != your product

  • 📣 Marketing must not imply ASF endorsement

  • ⚖️ When in doubt, ask trademarks@apache.org

Trademarks in Practice

  • ✅ Do: Use “Apache Foo (incubating)”, clarify ASF ownership, follow guidelines

  • 🚫 Don’t: Alter ASF logos, imply ASF endorsement

Mentor’s Role (Branding)

  • 🔍 Review websites, logos, presentations

  • ✍️ Correct misleading language early

  • 📢 Educate about Apache branding policy

Graduation: Becoming a Top Level Project

🎓 From podling to Top-Level Project

Graduation Criteria

  • 👥 Diverse, active community

  • 📦 ASF releases completed

  • 🧾 IP clearance finalized

  • 🔄 Self-governance (no mentors needed)

  • 🏷️ Branding understood

Graduation Process

  • 🗣️ PPMC discusses readiness

  • 🗳️ PPMC votes

  • 👥 IPMC votes

  • 🏛️ The ASF Board gives final approval

More Than a Checklist

  • 🧩 Independence over dependence

  • 🧑‍🔬 Meritocracy over control

  • 🧑‍🌾 Growth over code alone

What Happens After Graduation

  • 🏛️ Project becomes a Top-Level Project

  • 📋 Reports directly to The ASF Board

  • 📦 Manages own releases and branding

  • 🔖 Drops “(incubating)” from its name

Mentor’s Role (Graduation)

  • 💬 Help assess readiness honestly

  • ⚖ Support discussions about retiring if needed

  • 🪜 Guide the transition to TLP

  • 👋 Disengage and let PMC lead

Community & Oversight

👋 Podling Community Building

What Healthy Communities Look Like

  • 🧑‍💻 Multiple active contributors

  • ✍️ Public discussions on dev@

  • 📬 Timely responses to newcomers

  • 🎉 Regular addition of committers

  • 🌍 Diversity across geography and orgs

Common Community Pitfalls

  • 🔁 Decisions not on dev@

  • 🏢 One company dominates

  • 🤐 Silent contributors

  • 💤 Burnout or loss of contributors

Mentor’s Role (Community)

  • 🙋 Encourage dev@ activity

  • 🧭 Guide on onboarding and docs

  • 📣 Promote merit-based recognition

  • 🔍 Watch for imbalance or stagnation

Community Before Graduation

  • 💬 Discuss adding committers/PPMC

  • 🪜 Show growth over time

  • ⚖️ Make decisions without mentors

  • 🔓 Be open and welcoming

ASF Voting & Decision Making

🗳️ Voting isn’t just procedure, it’s consensus

Decision-Making the Apache Way

  • 🗳️ Votes can record consensus

  • 📬 dev@ is the central place for decisions

  • 🤝 Consensus > control

  • 📖 Documented > assumed

What Needs a Vote

  • 📦 Releases

  • 👤 Adding committers/PMC

  • 📋 Graduation/resolutions

  • 🏛️ Formal policy changes

How Voting Works

  • ✅ +1 = Approve

  • ➖ 0 = No opinion

  • ❌ -1 = Block (with explanation)

  • Binding = IPMC member (during incubation)

Lazy Consensus

  • 🙊 No objections in 72h → proceed

  • 📢 Use [DISCUSS]

  • 🧼 Great for routine changes

  • 🧑‍🏫 Mentors should model this early on

Mentor’s Role (Voting)

  • 💬 Explain expectations

  • 👀 Watch for rushed decisions

  • 🧭 Encourage discussion first

  • 🪜 Help shift to self-management

Independence vs Corporate Influence

🏢 Independence isn’t just ideal - it’s essential to The ASF and it’s projects

Signs of Vendor Control

  • 💼 All committers from one company

  • 🔁 Decisions from internal meetings

  • 🧵 Little dev@ activity

  • 🤐 Dismissive or unwelcoming to outside contributors

Mentor’s Role (Independence)

  • 👀 Watch for dominance

  • 🙋 Encourage diverse voices

  • 🤝 Broaden participation

  • 📢 Raise concerns if imbalance persists

Podling Reporting & Oversight

📋 Reporting isn’t just paperwork - it’s shows progress and ensures support

Why Reporting Matters

  • 📌 Keeps The ASF informed

  • 🔍 Identifies risks

  • 📢 Builds transparency

  • 🛠️ Enables mentor/IPMC support

  • 📮 Due quarterly – add to wiki

What Goes in a Podling Report

  • 🆕 Progress since last report

  • 👥 Community activity

  • 📦 Release activity

  • 🔍 Issues or concerns

  • 🪜 Steps toward graduation

What the IPMC Looks For

  • 🧍 Shared work, not one person

  • 📬 dev@ activity beyond GitHub

  • ⏱ Timely releases

  • 🔄 Evidence of self-governance

  • 🧭 Alignment with ASF values

Oversight Red Flags

  • 📉 Declining community activity

  • 🔒 Private decisions

  • 🏢 One-company dominance

  • 🚫 Missed or unclear reports

  • 🗯 Repeated release issues or IP issues

Mentor’s Role (Reporting)

  • ✍️ Help with early reports

  • ⚖️ Be honest, don’t sugarcoat

  • 🔔 Raise issues if needed

  • 📣 Advocate for podling

  • 🪜 Step back as PPMC takes over

Mentoring in Practice

🧠 Mentoring isn’t about control - it’s about enabling independence

What Mentors Actually Do

  • ✅ Guide process

  • 📦 Assist releases

  • 🎓 Help with graduation

  • 🧭 Reinforce ASF values

Hands-On vs Hands-Off

  • 🛠️ Early: proactive

  • 🧑‍🎓 Mid: let them lead

  • 🧘 Late: intervene only if needed

  • Goal: success without you

What Mentors Are Not

  • 🚫 Not project managers

  • 🚫 Not release approvers

  • 🚫 Not the boss

  • 🚫 Not responsible for doing the work

Common Mentor Pitfalls

  • 👻 Absent mentor

  • 🧮 Micromanaging

  • 💼 Corporate bias

  • 🤐 Silent observer

Good Mentor Practices

  • 🗨️ Join dev@ and private@

  • 📚 Point to ASF docs

  • 👂 Listen more

  • 🙋 Encourage merit

  • 🚨 Raise issues early

Mentorship Lifecycle

  • 🧭 Orientation → 🧑‍💻 Advising → 👀 Observing → 👐 Letting go

  • 🎓 Graduation = exit

Mentor Collaboration & Burnout

  • 🤝 Collaborate with co-mentors

  • 🔄 Share responsibility

  • ⚠️ Watch for burnout

  • 📣 Reach out for help

Conflict Resolution and Escalation Paths

💥 Conflict isn’t failure - it’s a chance to reinforce community values

💥 Conflict Happens

  • 🧠 Technical debates

  • 🗣️ Interpersonal friction

  • 🏢 Company-driven tension

  • 😶 Silence or passive resistance

Signs of Dysfunction

  • 😡 Heated arguments

  • 🏃 Decisions without discussion

  • 🤐 Newcomers ignored

  • 📉 Declining dev@ engagement

  • 🧍 One person doing all the work

Conflict Resolution Strategies

  • 🧘 De-escalate

  • 🗨️ Focus on facts

  • 💬 Move to dev@

  • 🧑‍💼 Mediate neutrally

  • 🔄 Return to ASF values

Mentor’s Role (Conflict)

  • 👂 Listen first

  • 🧾 Keep conversations on dev@

  • 🔍 Find root causes

  • 🙋 Intervene early

  • 📢 Know when to escalate

Escalation Paths

What’s Next?

🌱 Mentoring at The ASF means growing communities, not just guiding projects

Key Takeaways

  • 🌱 Model ASF culture

  • 👥 Support diversity

  • 📦 Releases show readiness

  • 🎓 Graduation = independence

  • 🚩 Spot red flags early

  • 🧭 Guide, don’t control

Where to Go Next

  • 📄 Incubator Policy

  • 📬 Join: general@ & private@

  • 🧑‍🏫 Mentor Guide

  • ✉️ Contact IPMC for help