The document discusses The Apache Way, which are the governance principles and guiding tenets for how Apache Project Management Committees (PMCs) operate. It focuses on why understanding the origins and reasons behind The Apache Way is important. The Apache Way was developed to optimize for volunteer contributors, focus on community over code, and encourage long-term sustainable open source projects and software. Some key aspects of The Apache Way discussed are meritocracy, peer-based communities, consensus decision making, transparency, and collaborative development.

1. APACHECON North America
9-12 September, 2019
The Apache Way
Not only the WHAT but,
more importantly,
the WHY

2. APACHECON North America This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. - Jim Jagielski - @jimjag
About Me
Apache Software Foundation
Co-founder, Director Emeritus, Member and Developer
Director Emeritus
Outercurve, MARSEC-XL, OSSI, OSI (ex)…
Developer
Mega FOSS projects
O’Reilly Open Source Award: 2013
European Commission: Luminary Award
InterCon: Top 50 Tech Leaders of 2019
Open Source Chef: ConsenSys

3. APACHECON North America This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. - Jim Jagielski - @jimjag
What is “The Apache Way”
“The Apache Way” relates to how the ASF (and its projects) work and
operate
Basically, the least common denominators on how PMCs operate (or
are expected to operate)
Basic governance principles
Guiding tenets for strategic decision making

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So why focus on Apache?
The ASF is a 501(c)3, non-profit foundation
Membership-based
Large number of success stories (and some “failures”)
Recognized and acknowledged by peers and press.

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ASF “Org Chart”
Development Administrative
Users
Patchers/Buggers
Contributors
Committers
PMC Members
Members
Officers
Board
~700
9
~200
~5500
~3000
Technical Oversight Organizational Oversight
PMCs
(TLPs)
~200
Elects
ReportsAppoints
Creates
&
Updates

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So why this talk?
There is a lot of FUD about what the Apache Way is, or isn’t
There is also a lot of confusion
Partly, this is our fault
“lots of interpretations”
Not doing a good job in education, training and mentoring
Partly, this is just a weird concept
A lack, IMO, of a real appreciation of the Apache Way exists:
How core it is to who, and what we are
How guiding it is
“convenient forgetfulness”

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Why is “why” so important
Understanding the origins, the root cause, increases appreciation for
why the principles exist
It serves to answer questions we haven’t asked yet
It serves to support the answers to the questions we’ve asked, and
debated, already
The Apache Way is being used as the model for other Open Source
projects, organizations and movements (eg: InnerSource).
Allows for “fine tuning”

8. APACHECON North America This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. - Jim Jagielski - @jimjag
Origins of “The Apache Way”
History of Pre-“Open Source” days
History of The Apache Group and the ASF
The Need
The Opportunity
The Insights
Focus on community
Optimize for the un-aligned, self/group-interested volunteer contributor
We never want anyone else to be stuck in the situation we were.

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Origins of “The Apache Way”
We sometimes distill this down to:
Community Over Code
The idea is that healthy, viable communities resulting in long-term,
sustainable Open Source projects (and software)

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So what did we do: #1
Created the Apache Software Foundation
Governing bylaws make it member-based, member focused
Avoid pockets of power (learn from the bad experiences of the FSF and
the early Perl foundations)
Only really works w/ an engaged board and membership

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So what did we do: #2
Come up w/ The Apache Way

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Apache Way: Basic Memes
Meritocracy
Community : Peer-based
Individual Participation
Vendor Neutrality
Collaborative development
Consensus decision making
Open, Public, and Transparent

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Meritocracy
“Govern by Merit”
Merit is based on what you do
Merit never expires
Those with more merit, get more responsibility
Provides incentive to Do More
It’s NOT a dirty word
aka “do-acracy”
What you do, NOT who (or what) you are!
WHY: Encourage participation, new blood, fairness

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Community: peer based / individual
Developers represent themselves - individuals
Mutual trust and respect
All votes hold the same weight (no BDFL)
Flat-as-possible hierarchy
We do not promote, pay, nor dissuade anyone
Influence, NOT control
Community created code
Healthy communities create healthy code
Poisonous communities don’t
Feel as part of a community
WHY: Passion is better than payment
WHY: Grow the community

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Community: Vendor Neutrality
A truly neutral place for companies to collaborate
No “pay to play” - everyone has a chance
We do not promote, nor dissuade anyone
No company can “join” the ASF
Level playing field for all encourages cooperation
WHY: Avoid power imbalance due to conflicting “agendas”
WHY: Avoid death of a project due to Corporate interests
We are, after all, a 501(c)3 public charity

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Collaborative Development
The community develops the code
The community grows and fosters the project
WHY: Communities cannot grow without collaboration; Without
collaboration, there is no real community

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Collaboration: Consensus decision making
Key is the idea of voting
+1 - yes
+0 - no real comment
-1 - veto
Sometimes you’ll also see stuff like -0, -0.5, etc…
Used to gauge consensus, not really “majority rule”
Vetos are rare and a sign that something is askew

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Collaborative Development
Mailing lists are the preferred method
Archived
Asynchronous
Available to anyone - public list
WHY: Volunteers are the lifeblood - their available cycles vary
greatly and often
WHY: East to lurk… easy to return

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Collaboration: Transparency
Open, Public and Transparent
Code is developed by the community
Voting ensures at least 3 active developers
Development done online and on-list
If it didn’t happen on-list, it didn’t happen
WHY: True communities cannot live without true intra-
community transparency, and cannot grow without extra-
community transparency.

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Altruistic Selfishness
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood,
divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the
vast and endless sea.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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Thanks
Twitter: @jimjag
Emails:
jim@jaguNET.com
jim@apache.org
jimjag@gmail.com
http://www.slideshare.net/jimjag/
Apache Anniversary Beer Recipe (BeerSmith3 format):
http://home.apache.org/~jim/download/ApacheAnniversaryRoggenbier.bsmx