Joe Brockmeier Manager with the Community Team (Open Source and Standards office) with Red Hat All Things Open October 26-27, 2016 Raleigh, North Carolina

1. Communities Over Code
How Companies can Work Effectively with
Open Source Communities
Joe Brockmeier (@jzb)
PRESENTED BY:
Senior Evangelist, Linux Containers (Red Hat)

2. About Me (Briefly)About Me (Briefly)
· Red Hat since August 2013Red Hat since August 2013
· Apache Member, Incubator PMCApache Member, Incubator PMC
· Former openSUSE Community ManagerFormer openSUSE Community Manager
· Technology Journalist ~1999-2008, 2010-2012Technology Journalist ~1999-2008, 2010-2012
· Likes books, Vim, cats, music, beer, andLikes books, Vim, cats, music, beer, and
polar bears – (not necessarily in thatpolar bears – (not necessarily in that
order).order).

3. What We'll CoverWhat We'll Cover
· The Open Source MythThe Open Source Myth
· Why “Community Over Code”?Why “Community Over Code”?
· Defining SuccessDefining Success
· Governance and CommunityGovernance and Community
· InfrastructureInfrastructure
· MarketingMarketing

4. The Open Source MythThe Open Source Myth

6. First Rule:First Rule:
If your project isn't great,If your project isn't great,
useful, and necessary, noneuseful, and necessary, none
of this will matterof this will matter at allat all..

7. What is
“Community Over Code”?

8. How You Do ThingsHow You Do Things
Can Be As Important As What You DoCan Be As Important As What You Do

9. A Healthy Community Can RollA Healthy Community Can Roll
with Changewith Change

10. No One is IrreplaceableNo One is Irreplaceable

11. ““We'll Do it Right Later”We'll Do it Right Later”
Doesn't Always Work Out Well...Doesn't Always Work Out Well...

12. Core Principles

13. Transparency & OpennessTransparency & Openness
““If it didn't happen on the mailing list...”If it didn't happen on the mailing list...”

14. MentorsMentors
Are ImportantAre Important

15. Leave Your HatLeave Your Hat
At the DoorAt the Door

16. QualityQuality
Is Better than SpeedIs Better than Speed

17. All Contributions MatterAll Contributions Matter

18. Users MatterUsers Matter

19. Defining Success

20. What Does Success Look Like?What Does Success Look Like?

21. Are Your Goals Measurable?Are Your Goals Measurable?

22. Communicate Your GoalsCommunicate Your Goals

23. Accidental Success Happens:Accidental Success Happens:
But Don't Count on It!But Don't Count on It!

24. Governance &
Community

25. GovernanceGovernance
· One Size Can't Fit AllOne Size Can't Fit All
· Have Clear GuidelinesHave Clear Guidelines
· CLAs – avoid terms that make one entityCLAs – avoid terms that make one entity
“more equal than others.”“more equal than others.”
· How does a user become a contributor?How does a user become a contributor?
· How does a contributor become a coreHow does a contributor become a core
contributor / earn rights?contributor / earn rights?
· Golden RuleGolden Rule
· DiversityDiversity
· Skills and peopleSkills and people

26. Governance SuggestionsGovernance Suggestions
· Everything happens on the mailing list*Everything happens on the mailing list*
· 72 hours for feedback72 hours for feedback
· Use “lazy consensus” to make decisions*Use “lazy consensus” to make decisions*
· Exceptions: Legal, missing stakeholder,Exceptions: Legal, missing stakeholder,
security, etc.security, etc.
· Leave your Hat at the doorLeave your Hat at the door
· Company / titles shouldn't matterCompany / titles shouldn't matter
· Make decisions stickMake decisions stick
· Document, document, documentDocument, document, document

27. Infrastructure

28. Care & Feeding forCare & Feeding for
CommunityCommunity
· Mailing ListsMailing Lists
· Forums ?Forums ?
· Bug TrackerBug Tracker
· Documentation / WikiDocumentation / Wiki
· Code RepositoriesCode Repositories
· Trello / Kanban, etc.?Trello / Kanban, etc.?
· Continuous Integration (CI) & Testing InfraContinuous Integration (CI) & Testing Infra
· Translation toolsTranslation tools

29. Face to Face
· Nothing beats in-person bonding.
· We still don't have beer over TCP/IP!
· Meetups! LUGs! Daycare centers! (OK, maybe not
the last one...)
· You can't depend on in-person collaboration all
the time – but try to make it happen sometimes!
· Find time for learning, doing, and socializing.
· Carry as much as possible back to the rest of the
community.

30. Open Source
Citizenship

31. If You're Participating, Not Leading
· Send Pull Requests
· Have sane use policies – be clear about what's
OK, what's not – but make sure they're
communicated!
· Have sane contribution policies – let your
employees participate!
· Speak up! Tell people about your use of Open
Source

32. Marketing
& Promotion

33. Audience & GoalsAudience & Goals
· What are your goals?What are your goals?
· Fuzzy goals == unfocusedFuzzy goals == unfocused
· Who are you trying to reach?Who are you trying to reach?
· Personas / profiles of usersPersonas / profiles of users
· What do they want?What do they want?
· Craft a story / message around how yourCraft a story / message around how your
project fits their needs. May need to “fix” theproject fits their needs. May need to “fix” the
project!project!
· Feedback loopFeedback loop
· Talk to users, use their ideas!Talk to users, use their ideas!

34. Project Voice and MessagingProject Voice and Messaging
· Tailor Website to usersTailor Website to users
· Have talking points / messaging for theHave talking points / messaging for the
project that explains it to new folksproject that explains it to new folks
· Explain benefits, not features or low-levelExplain benefits, not features or low-level
technologytechnology
· Show me how to be successful, quicklyShow me how to be successful, quickly

35. Blogging and Social MediaBlogging and Social Media
· Take the time to write about what you'reTake the time to write about what you're
doing.doing.
· Video / screencasts are also good – butVideo / screencasts are also good – but
remember the old-timers.remember the old-timers.
· Find contributors to help run social media,Find contributors to help run social media,
blogs, etc.blogs, etc.
· Provide social media guidelines!Provide social media guidelines!
· Advanced: Editorial calendar, SEO,Advanced: Editorial calendar, SEO,
scheduled tweets, target influencersscheduled tweets, target influencers

36. Releases!Releases!
· Start planning release announcementsStart planning release announcements
earlyearly
· Ideally, before the first alphaIdeally, before the first alpha
· Identify publications that might beIdentify publications that might be
interestedinterested
· Identify partner projects that might helpIdentify partner projects that might help
promote your projectpromote your project
· Go big, but don't just focus on releases!Go big, but don't just focus on releases!

37. SummarySummary
· Community is a process, not an end stateCommunity is a process, not an end state
· You will never, ever, ever be “done”You will never, ever, ever be “done”
· Successful communities changeSuccessful communities change
· Single-company projects < Diverse projectsSingle-company projects < Diverse projects
· If you build it, you still have to promote itIf you build it, you still have to promote it
· If you're not growing, you're dyingIf you're not growing, you're dying
· Golden RuleGolden Rule

38. Questions?
jzb@redhat.com
CONTACT: