Maintainer Pathway – KubeStellar

This document outlines the process by which contributors to the KubeStellar open source project can progress toward becoming maintainers, and defines a transparent, merit-based path that rewards consistent engagement and community contribution.

For the org-wide inactive member and emeritus policy, see the Emeritus and Returning from Emeritus sections below.

Purpose

To provide contributors with a clear understanding of how to grow within the KubeStellar community — from first-time contributors to trusted maintainers — based on mentorship, impact, and measurable contributions.

Contributor Journey

Each level reflects a growing commitment to the project, increased responsibilities, and expanded leadership opportunities.

Contributor → Unpaid Intern → Paid Intern → Mentor → Maintainer
                                                          ↓
                                                      Emeritus
                                                      (inactive)
                                                          ↓
                                                    Reinstatement
                                                   (back to prior level)

1. Contributor -> Unpaid Intern

Requirements:

• Minimum of 3 contributions (e.g., bug reports, documentation PRs, or code PRs)
• Display enthusiasm and interest in long-term participation
• Be active on GitHub and Slack
• Informal application or nomination to join the intern program

2. Unpaid Intern -> Paid Intern

Timeframe: 12-week internship
Quantitative Requirements (within 12 weeks):

• Open at least 6 “help wanted” issues
• Merge at least 20 PRs
  • Of those, at least 8 PRs must be merged within the first 6 weeks
• Attend weekly team meetings or submit summaries asynchronously
• Work collaboratively with mentors

Promotion to paid intern requires completion of the above plus:

• A mentor’s recommendation
• Strong communication and follow-through

3. Paid Intern -> Mentor

Requirements:

• Successfully complete at least one 12-week paid internship cycle
• Help onboard and support at least one new intern or contributor
• Submit:
  • ≥ 3 PR reviews
  • ≥ 5 helpful comments on PRs or issues
• Present or co-present at a community call

4. Mentor -> Maintainer

Requirements:

• Demonstrate technical leadership in one or more key areas
• Maintain consistent contribution activity
• Engage with the community in GitHub and Slack
• Approved by core maintainers following a public review process

5. Emeritus

Emeritus is not a demotion — it is a recognition that a contributor made meaningful contributions to KubeStellar but is no longer actively participating. Any member at any level of the ladder may move to Emeritus status, either voluntarily or through the inactivity process.

How members move to Emeritus:

• Voluntarily: A member may request Emeritus status at any time by notifying a maintainer
• Inactivity: Members with no contributions across any KubeStellar repository within 9 months are moved to Emeritus after a 30-day notification and grace period (see Emeritus section for the full process)

What Emeritus members retain:

• Listed in the Emeritus roll below
• Full attribution of past contributions in git history
• Welcome to participate in community discussions, meetings, and public channels
• May submit pull requests and issues as external contributors

What Emeritus members do not have:

• GitHub organization membership or write access
• Approval or review permissions in OWNERS files
• CI trigger permissions
• Access to private maintainer channels or security advisories

Returning from Emeritus:

Emeritus members have a streamlined path back — they do not start from scratch:

1. Signal intent by opening an issue on kubestellar/.github or contacting a maintainer
2. Make at least 3 meaningful contributions (PRs, reviews, or issue triage) within 30 days
3. Obtain sponsorship from an active maintainer who confirms re-familiarization with current practices
4. Receive approval from a simple majority of active maintainers

Upon reinstatement, the member returns to the same level they held before going Emeritus, provided they still meet that level’s requirements. If the project has evolved significantly, maintainers may recommend reinstatement at a lower level with a clear path to regain the previous level.

Emeritus Roll

Maintainer Activity Requirements

Maintainers are expected to remain active by meeting the following bi-monthly (every 2 months) contribution minimums:

All maintainers will be listed in a shared Google Sheet where these metrics are tracked publicly.

Maintainers who fail to meet activity thresholds for 2 consecutive cycles (4 months) will be contacted and offered the choice to re-engage or move to Emeritus. If no response is received within 30 days, they are moved to Emeritus per the Emeritus policy.

Evaluation and Status

• Evaluations occur every 6 weeks for interns and every 8 weeks for maintainers
• Interns who do not meet the required output may be removed from the program
• Contributors may re-enter or regain status based on future contributions
• The 9-month inactivity window applies to all org members, not just maintainers

Metric Tracking

Contribution metrics will be gathered via GitHub API and updated to a public Google Sheet (link TBD). Contributions across the following repos count toward intern and maintainer totals:

• kubestellar/kubestellar
• kubestellar/kubeflex
• kubestellar/ui

Join the Pathway

If you’re interested in becoming an intern or nominating someone, please attend a KubeStellar Community Meeting, or open an issue with the label maintainer-pathway.

Maintained by the KubeStellar team. Last updated: May 2026.