Critical Success Factors of an Open Source Community

Whenever I speak about creating inclusive open source community, people approach me afterward asking specifically what they can do to help their community grow. I usually focus on the most practical thing, which is to start with a community health assessment to create some baseline metrics. This allows for growth measurements over time.

But perhaps the true first place to start is to stop and consider what any open source community requires in order to be successful. Today I’m going to look at necessary roles common to a thriving organization, regardless whether it is an open source community, or whether the roles are volunteer or paid full-time. Sometimes multiple people work on the same role; sometimes one person oversees multiple roles. The critical outcome is that at least one person has their eyes on any given role in the organization, and that person knows who they are and what needs to be done.


The critical outcome is that at least one person has their eyes on any given role in the organization, and that person knows who they are and what needs to be done.

In an open source technical community, there are at least 11 roles that contribute to its health, longevity, and forward momentum. Each role focuses on different aspects of the project, ranging from technical contributions to community engagement and project governance. Here’s an overview of the key roles, described in terms of what they do and why it is important.

1. Core Maintainers / Lead Developers

   Responsibilities:

Make sure the product is correct, complete, and following the desired trajectory.

  • Review code; 
  • Merge pull requests;
  • Fix critical issues; 
  • Report bugs upstream; 
  • Maintain the codebase;
  • Set code standards; 
  • Document technical decisions; 
  • Manage cadence and procedure of the release cycle.

   Importance:

Effective guidance and technical leadership of core maintainers and lead developers keep the project’s mission clear, and ensures the quality of contributions to the codebase.

2. Contributors (engaged community members)

   Responsibilities:

Perform the daily work of the project.

  • Submit patches, report and fix bugs, contribute to forums, add new features, add to and improve documentation, add to and help design user interface (code contributions).
  • Improve website, create marketing material, design logos for various communication campaigns (non-code contributions).

   Importance:

The broader this group is, the better the community will thrive. Diversity of perspectives and skill sets helps the project stay healthy with fresh ideas, robust problem-solving, and forward momentum.

3. Community Managers

   Responsibilities:

Bridge the space between core maintainers and contributors, by fostering relationships among the various roles in the community. 

  • Address conflicts and mediate between different points of view to keep the community aligned and healthy.
  • Architect public information for easy discovery;
  • Moderate discussions;
  • Organize events;
  • Welcome new contributors;
  • Ensure that the community remains a welcoming and inclusive space.

   Importance:

Good managers generate social connectivity within the project. When people are engaged, they contribute more and stick around longer, which helps prevent burnout among the core members. 

4. Governance / Steering Committee (Project Board)

   Responsibilities:

Provide strategic direction and governance for the project. 

  • Define the project’s primary roadmap (charter);
  • Make key decisions about licensing;
  • Manage project funds if applicable.
  • Monitor adherence to project bylaws;
  • Oversee governance decisions, such as electing core maintainers or adjusting contributor guidelines.

   Importance:

Effective governance reassures project contributors of the project’s viability through fairness and transparency in its decision-making. This provides stability and a sense of purpose for everyone in the community from key members to casual contributors. 

5. Documentarians (Technical Writers)

   Responsibilities:

With good documentation, a disorganized product can still develop a userbase. Without it, even an amazing product can fail. Software documentation is dynamic, requiring ongoing attention based on updates and changes in the codebase. Documentarians create and maintain the project’s documentation, such as the following:

  • Download and Installation instructions;
  • User guides;
  • API documentation
  • Tutorials;
  • Developer onboarding materials.

   Importance:

Good documentation constantly strives to lower barriers to entry for users and new contributors, including through obsessing about accessibility and advocating for resources for contributors. It also improves the usability and long-term sustainability of the project.

6. Release Engineers

   Responsibilities:

Coordinate packaging and releasing new versions of the software. Communicate with core maintainers to integrate new features, establish a cadence, and meet timelines.

  • Ensure that all critical bugs are addressed before a release;
  • Manage versioning;
  • Document release notes.

   Importance:

A competent release engineering team builds community trust and project momentum by managing releases well, and keeping the software stable and up to date.

7. Testers / Quality Assurance (QA)

   Responsibilities:

Ensure that new features and bug fixes work as intended, and that the software maintains high performance and stability on all supported architectures.

  • Develop and run tests;
  • Document/Provide feedback to developers; 
  • Contribute automated testing infrastructure, if applicable.

   Importance:

Excellent software demands robust testing. Sometimes one of the most active teams in a project, QA plays a pivotal role in catching, addressing, and documenting issues before they reach users, ensuring stability and community trust in the project. 

8. Mentors / Onboarding Guides

   Responsibilities:

Haven’t you historically performed better in a new position when you had a mentor? If you’ve never had one, perhaps you will agree it could have smoothed your path. In an open source project, mentors have a special ability to fill multiple roles.

  • Guide new contributors through their early contributions;
  • Explain the project’s processes and coding standards;
  • Provide support and feedback, helping new members become productive contributors.
  • Monitor the forums, answering common questions and pointing people to existing helpful threads.
  • Provide broader career and technical advice within the community, fostering a culture of learning.

   Importance:

Mentors are critical to develop new contributors into long-term project members. When every project newcomer has a specific person to ask questions of, that lowers barriers to entry and creates an inclusive space where people feel valued and empowered to contribute.

9. Outreach / Marketing (Public Relations)

   Responsibilities:

Promote the project to a broader audience, and increase visibility and adoption of the project. Communicate project updates and successes. Foster excitement and engagement inside the community, and grow positive vibes about the project with the general public.

  • Social media (SMM);
  • Blogs (tech writing, journalism);
  • Conferences and Tech events (event planning);
  • Partnerships (advertising).

   Importance:

A well-perceived project attracts more users and contributors, helping to grow the community and increase its impact and longevity. Marketing and outreach also help a project stand out among its open source peers.

10. Sponsors / Partners

Sponsoring an open source project is a statement of support for open source values: Collaboration. Transparency & Open Exchange of Information. Rapid Prototyping. Inclusive Meritocracy. Community-Oriented Development. 

   Responsibilities:

This essential role within an open source community is often sourced from outside the community. Yet it is important in its own irreplaceable way. Project sponsors and partners provide financial and in-kind backing to support the development of the project. 

  • Event funding;
  • Donated infrastructure;
  • Server hosting;
  • Development tools;
  • Architectures for testing;
  • Legal services;
  • Compensation for key contributors.

   Importance:

Sometimes open source projects develop a product or service branch that creates financial viability for the community side. But more often, they require donated resources to thrive. Sponsoring an open source project is a statement of support for open source values: Collaboration. Transparency & Open Exchange of Information. Rapid Prototyping. Inclusive Meritocracy. Community-Oriented Development. 

A third funding option is for open source projects is develop a grant strategy. This involves contracting with a professional grant-writer to get to know your organization and suggest a course for growing your project’s resources. Later you can extend the contract to have them implement the strategy. If you’d like to learn more about finding potential grants, message me [email protected] and let’s set up time to talk. This is a service I provide, and I currently have space for one new client.

11. Advocates (Evangelists)

   Responsibilities:

Advocates promote the project in external spaces, serving as enthusiastic ambassadors who help people see the value and desirability of the project.

  • Conferences;
  • Meetups;
  • Online socials;
  • Community moderation;
  • Collect user feedback;
  • Connect the project with sponsors

   Importance:

Without advocates, even the most awesome project can struggle with image and adoption. Advocates grow a project’s user base and keep it relevant in the tech landscape.

Conclusion:

All these roles contribute to the health and sustainability of an open source project. By nurturing technical excellence and the social fabric, a community can create an environment where people feel motivated to contribute, share knowledge, and push the project forward. An open source project thrives when technical oversight, community support, and forward vision are all functional and balanced.