๐ŸŽ“ Welcome to ASF Mentor Training

Supporting Projects Using the Apache Way

Table of Contents

  • ๐Ÿงญ ASF Values & Culture

  • ๐Ÿš€ Releases & Graduation

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ Community & Oversight

  • ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿซ Mentoring in Practice

  • ๐Ÿ’ฅ Handling Conflict

  • ๐Ÿง  Wrap-Up & Resources

What You’ll Learn

  • ๐Ÿงญ ASF Values & Culture - What makes ASF different

  • ๐Ÿš€ Releases & Graduation - Processes and pitfalls

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ Community & Oversight - Building sustainable projects

  • ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿซ Mentoring in Practice - What mentors actually do

  • ๐Ÿ’ฅ Handling Conflict - Resolution and escalation

  • ๐Ÿง  Wrap-Up & Resources - Where to go next

ASF Values & Culture

๐ŸŒ ASF Culture: The Foundation of Everything

Understanding the values that make ASF unique

Core Values

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ Community over Code

  • ๐ŸŒŸ Meritocracy: Earned through contribution

  • ๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ Consensus-driven decision-making

  • ๐Ÿ” Transparency in all actions

Why It Matters

  • ๐Ÿ†š Distinguishes ASF from vendor-led models

  • ๐ŸŒฑ Enables sustainable growth

  • ๐Ÿค Builds trust and inclusion

Red Flags to Watch

  • ๐Ÿ”’ Private decision-making

  • ๐Ÿช– Leadership by title or company role

  • ๐Ÿค Silent or disengaged community

  • ๐Ÿข Over-reliance on one company

Mentorโ€™s Role (Values & Culture)

  • ๐Ÿ’ฌ Model and reinforce ASF values

  • ๐Ÿ‘€ Spot and address misalignments

  • ๐Ÿ™Œ Encourage openness and merit

ASF Governance: Where Mentors Fit In

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ ASF Board โ†’ Oversees all ASF projects and PMCs

  • ๐Ÿข IPMC โ†’ Manages incubation and mentors podlings

  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆ PPMC โ†’ Runs the day-to-day of the podling

  • ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿซ Mentors โ†’ Bridge between the ASF and the podling

Releasing at Apache

๐Ÿš€ Community, Not Just Code

Releases are not just technical, theyโ€™re community milestones

What Is an ASF Release?

  • โœ… Approved by vote (PPMC and IPMC)

  • ๐Ÿงพ Legal and license-compliant

  • ๐ŸŒ Distributed via ASF infrastructure

Key Steps in Releasing

  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Prepare artifacts + LICENSE/NOTICE

  • ๐Ÿ“ฃ Call a [VOTE] on PPMC dev@

  • ๐Ÿ‘ Get 3+ binding +1 votes

  • ๐Ÿ“ฃ Call a [VOTE] on incubator general@

  • ๐Ÿ‘ Get 3+ binding +1 votes

  • ๐Ÿงพ Close with [RESULT]

  • ๐Ÿ“ค Announce + distribute

Common Pitfalls in Releases

  • โš ๏ธ Missing or wrong license headers

  • ๐Ÿงฉ Bundled compiled code

  • ๐Ÿงฉ Non-compatible or unknown-license 3rd party code

  • ๐Ÿงพ Incorrect or incomplete LICENSE and NOTICE files

Mentorโ€™s Role (Releases)

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฃ Walk them through the process

  • ๐Ÿงผ Review for clarity and correctness

  • ๐Ÿ™‹ Encourage asking questions early

ASF Branding & Trademarks

๐ŸŽจ Branding isnโ€™t just visual - itโ€™s how the project represents the ASF

Branding Rules

  • ๐Ÿ“› Respect ASF branding and naming guidelines

  • ๐Ÿท๏ธ Use โ€œApache Foo (incubating)โ€ during incubation

  • ๐Ÿšซ Avoid project names that are already trademarked

ASF Name Misuse

  • ๐Ÿข Donโ€™t use the ASF Name to Promote Vendor Products

  • ๐Ÿ”— ASF project != your product

  • ๐Ÿ“ฃ Marketing must not imply ASF endorsement

  • โš–๏ธ When in doubt, ask trademarks@apache.org

Trademarks in Practice

  • โœ… Do: Use โ€œApache Foo (incubating)โ€, clarify ASF ownership, follow guidelines

  • ๐Ÿšซ Donโ€™t: Alter ASF logos, imply ASF endorsement

Mentorโ€™s Role (Branding)

  • ๐Ÿ” Review websites, logos, presentations

  • โœ๏ธ Correct misleading language early

  • ๐Ÿ“ข Educate about Apache branding policy

Graduation: Becoming a Top Level Project

๐ŸŽ“ From podling to Top-Level Project

Graduation Criteria

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ Diverse, active community

  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ ASF releases completed

  • ๐Ÿงพ IP clearance finalized

  • ๐Ÿ”„ Self-governance (no mentors needed)

  • ๐Ÿท๏ธ Branding understood

Graduation Process

  • ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ PPMC discusses readiness

  • ๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ PPMC votes

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ IPMC votes

  • ๐Ÿ›๏ธ ASF Board approves

More Than a Checklist

  • ๐Ÿงฉ Independence over dependence

  • ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ”ฌ Meritocracy over control

  • ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐ŸŒพ Growth over code alone

What Happens After Graduation

  • ๐Ÿ›๏ธ Project becomes a Top-Level Project

  • ๐Ÿ“‹ Reports directly to ASF Board

  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Manages own releases and branding

  • ๐Ÿ”– Drops โ€œ(incubating)โ€ from its name

Mentorโ€™s Role (Graduation)

  • ๐Ÿ’ฌ Help assess readiness honestly

  • โš– Support discussions about retiring if needed

  • ๐Ÿชœ Guide the transition to TLP

  • ๐Ÿ‘‹ Disengage and let PMC lead

Community & Oversight

๐Ÿ‘‹ Podling Community Building

What Healthy Communities Look Like

  • ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Multiple active contributors

  • โœ๏ธ Public discussions on dev@

  • ๐Ÿ“ฌ Timely responses to newcomers

  • ๐ŸŽ‰ Regular addition of committers

  • ๐ŸŒ Diversity across geography and orgs

Common Community Pitfalls

  • ๐Ÿ” Decisions not on dev@

  • ๐Ÿข One company dominates

  • ๐Ÿค Silent contributors

  • ๐Ÿ’ค Burnout or loss of contributors

Mentorโ€™s Role (Community)

  • ๐Ÿ™‹ Encourage dev@ activity

  • ๐Ÿงญ Guide on onboarding and docs

  • ๐Ÿ“ฃ Promote merit-based recognition

  • ๐Ÿ” Watch for imbalance or stagnation

Community Before Graduation

  • ๐Ÿ’ฌ Discuss adding committers/PPMC

  • ๐Ÿชœ Show growth over time

  • โš–๏ธ Make decisions without mentors

  • ๐Ÿ”“ Be open and welcoming

ASF Voting & Decision Making

๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ Voting isnโ€™t just procedure, itโ€™s consensus

Decision-Making the Apache Way

  • ๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ Votes enable consensus

  • ๐Ÿ“ฌ dev@ is the central place for decisions

  • ๐Ÿค Consensus > control

  • ๐Ÿ“– Documented > assumed

What Needs a Vote

  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Releases

  • ๐Ÿ‘ค Adding committers/PMC

  • ๐Ÿ“‹ Graduation/resolutions

  • ๐Ÿ›๏ธ Formal policy changes

How Voting Works

  • โœ… +1 = Approve

  • โž– 0 = No opinion

  • โŒ -1 = Block (with explanation)

  • Binding = IPMC member

Lazy Consensus

  • ๐Ÿ™Š No objections in 72h โ†’ proceed

  • ๐Ÿ“ข Use [DISCUSS]

  • ๐Ÿงผ Great for routine changes

  • ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿซ Mentors should model this early on

Mentorโ€™s Role (Voting)

  • ๐Ÿ’ฌ Explain expectations

  • ๐Ÿ‘€ Watch for rushed decisions

  • ๐Ÿงญ Encourage discussion first

  • ๐Ÿชœ Help shift to self-management

Independence vs Corporate Influence

๐Ÿข Independence isnโ€™t just ideal - itโ€™s essential to ASF governance

Signs of Vendor Control

  • ๐Ÿ’ผ All committers from one company

  • ๐Ÿ” Decisions from internal meetings

  • ๐Ÿงต Little dev@ activity

  • ๐Ÿค Dismissive or unwelcoming to outside contributors

Mentorโ€™s Role (Independence)

  • ๐Ÿ‘€ Watch for dominance

  • ๐Ÿ™‹ Encourage diverse voices

  • ๐Ÿค Broaden participation

  • ๐Ÿ“ข Raise concerns if imbalance persists

Podling Reporting & Oversight

๐Ÿ“‹ Reporting isnโ€™t just paperwork - itโ€™s how we ensure accountability and support

Why Reporting Matters

  • ๐Ÿ“Œ Keeps ASF informed

  • ๐Ÿ” Identifies risks

  • ๐Ÿ“ข Builds transparency

  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Enables mentor/IPMC support ๐Ÿ“ฎ Due quarterly โ€“ add to wiki

What Goes in a Podling Report

  • ๐Ÿ†• Progress since last report

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ Community activity

  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Release activity

  • ๐Ÿ” Issues or concerns

  • ๐Ÿชœ Steps toward graduation

What the IPMC Looks For

  • ๐Ÿง Shared work, not one person

  • ๐Ÿ“ฌ dev@ activity beyond GitHub

  • โฑ Timely releases

  • ๐Ÿ”„ Evidence of self-governance

  • ๐Ÿงญ Alignment with ASF values

Oversight Red Flags

  • ๐Ÿ“‰ Declining community activity

  • ๐Ÿ”’ Private decisions

  • ๐Ÿข One-company dominance

  • ๐Ÿšซ Missed or unclear reports

  • ๐Ÿ—ฏ Repeated release or IP issues

Mentorโ€™s Role (Reporting)

  • โœ๏ธ Help with early reports

  • โš–๏ธ Be honest, donโ€™t sugarcoat

  • ๐Ÿ”” Raise issues if needed

  • ๐Ÿ“ฃ Advocate for podling

  • ๐Ÿชœ Step back as PPMC takes over

Mentoring in Practice

๐Ÿง  Mentoring isnโ€™t about control - itโ€™s about enabling independence

What Mentors Actually Do

  • โœ… Guide process

  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Assist releases

  • ๐ŸŽ“ Help with graduation

  • ๐Ÿงญ Reinforce ASF values

Hands-On vs Hands-Off

  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Early: proactive

  • ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐ŸŽ“ Mid: let them lead

  • ๐Ÿง˜ Late: intervene only if needed

  • Goal: success without you

What Mentors Are Not

  • ๐Ÿšซ Not project managers

  • ๐Ÿšซ Not release approvers

  • ๐Ÿšซ Not the boss

  • ๐Ÿšซ Not responsible for doing the work

Common Mentor Pitfalls

  • ๐Ÿ‘ป Absent mentor

  • ๐Ÿงฎ Micromanaging

  • ๐Ÿ’ผ Corporate bias

  • ๐Ÿค Silent observer

Good Mentor Practices

  • ๐Ÿ—จ๏ธ Join dev@ and private@

  • ๐Ÿ“š Point to ASF docs

  • ๐Ÿ‘‚ Listen more

  • ๐Ÿ™‹ Encourage merit

  • ๐Ÿšจ Raise issues early

Mentorship Lifecycle

  • ๐Ÿงญ Orientation โ†’ ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ป Advising โ†’ ๐Ÿ‘€ Observing โ†’ ๐Ÿ‘ Letting go

  • ๐ŸŽ“ Graduation = exit

Mentor Collaboration & Burnout

  • ๐Ÿค Collaborate with co-mentors

  • ๐Ÿ”„ Share responsibility

  • โš ๏ธ Watch for burnout

  • ๐Ÿ“ฃ Reach out for help

Conflict Resolution and Escalation Paths

๐Ÿ’ฅ Conflict isnโ€™t failure - itโ€™s a chance to reinforce community values

๐Ÿ’ฅ Conflict Happens

  • ๐Ÿง  Technical debates

  • ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Interpersonal friction

  • ๐Ÿข Company-driven tension

  • ๐Ÿ˜ถ Silence or passive resistance

Signs of Dysfunction

  • ๐Ÿ˜ก Heated arguments

  • ๐Ÿƒ Decisions without discussion

  • ๐Ÿค Newcomers ignored

  • ๐Ÿ“‰ Declining dev@ engagement

  • ๐Ÿง One person doing all work

Conflict Resolution Strategies

  • ๐Ÿง˜ De-escalate

  • ๐Ÿ—จ๏ธ Focus on facts

  • ๐Ÿ’ฌ Move to dev@

  • ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿ’ผ Mediate neutrally

  • ๐Ÿ”„ Return to ASF values

Mentorโ€™s Role (Conflict)

  • ๐Ÿ‘‚ Listen first

  • ๐Ÿงพ Keep conversations on dev@

  • ๐Ÿ” Find root causes

  • ๐Ÿ™‹ Intervene early

  • ๐Ÿ“ข Know when to escalate

Escalation Paths

  • ๐Ÿค Resolve on dev@ first

  • ๐Ÿ“ง Contact private@incubator.apache.org

  • โš–๏ธ Escalate to IPMC

  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธLegal/misconduct โ†’ ASF Board

Whatโ€™s Next?

๐ŸŒฑ Mentoring at ASF means growing communities, not just guiding projects

Key Takeaways

  • ๐ŸŒฑ Model ASF culture

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ Support diversity

  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Releases show readiness

  • ๐ŸŽ“ Graduation = independence

  • ๐Ÿšฉ Spot red flags early

  • ๐Ÿงญ Guide, donโ€™t control

Where to Go Next

  • ๐Ÿ“„ Incubator Policy

  • ๐Ÿ“ฌ Join: general@ & private@

  • ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿซ Mentor Guide

  • โœ‰๏ธ Contact IPMC for help