Guide :: Guides

Joining the Incubator — what to expect before applying, reasons to join (or not), and how the proposal process works

Select Your Mentors — how to build a balanced, independent, and effective mentor team before entering incubation

Podling Orientation Guide — introduction to incubation and ASF culture

Podling Committer Onboarding — what new committers need to know

Podling PPMC Onboarding — duties and decision-making within the PPMC

Mentor Onboarding — step-by-step entry into mentoring

Incubator PMC Onboarding — orientation for joining the IPMC

Mentor Quick Start Guide — fast orientation for new mentors

Communication in Apache Projects — why mailing lists matter, acceptable chat use, and meeting best practices

International & Cultural Awareness — working across languages and time zones

Governance in Practice — applying the Apache Way in daily decisions

Why Governance Matters — why ASF governance underpins sustainable, community-led projects

Who Does What — responsibilities across Mentors, PPMCs, the IPMC, and ASF bodies

IPMC Oversight — how the IPMC provides oversight, guidance, and course correction across podlings

Common Myths — clears up frequent misconceptions about incubation purpose, votes, and timelines

Vendor Neutrality — maintaining balanced, independent governance

Neutrality In Practice — practical guidance on how incubating projects maintain community-led, vendor-neutral governance

Voting and Consensus in Practice — understanding consensus, voting types, and how decisions are made

Selecting a PMC Chair — how to identify and elect project leadership

Third-Party Branding and Incubating Projects — guidance on names, logos, and brand use during incubation

Legal Basics — essential ASF legal and licensing principles for podlings

Privacy & Data Handling — practical rules for collecting, storing, and sharing data in podlings

Interacting with ASF Infrastructure — how projects work effectively with ASF Infra and shared systems

Measuring Podling Health — assessing community activity, diversity, and mentor engagement

Common Incubation Paths — overview of typical project origins and how communities progress through incubation

Graduation Criteria — what’s required for a podling to graduate

Graduation and Beyond — post-graduation transition process

Retiring Podlings — how and when to retire an inactive podling

Mentor Handbook — consolidated reference for mentors with links to policy and training materials

Common Red Flags — issues mentors should watch for

Release Vote Insights — analysis of vote patterns and lessons from past release reviews

Best Practices for Mentors — examples and scenarios for effective mentoring

Mentors’ Tough Conversation Guide — how to navigate difficult discussions

Mentor Offboarding — how mentors transition after graduation

Mentor Replacement — guidance on when and how to adjust a podling’s mentor roster

Project Report Guide — preparing and submitting ASF project reports

How To Use the ASF Maturity Model — tool to assess community readiness and sustainability

Incubator Case Studies — lessons learned from past podlings

Practicing The Apache Way — scenario-based cases from real Incubator situations (anonymized) showing how ASF principles are applied under pressure

IPMC Reflection and Oversight — lessons and patterns from case studies to strengthen oversight and mentoring practices