The AsyncAPI Maintainership Program (AMP) is the official mentorship initiative piloted by the AsyncAPI community, designed to empower aspiring open source contributors and guide them toward becoming active code triagers and maintainers of AsyncAPI projects. Born out of AsyncAPI’s deep commitment to open source and community growth, this program creates a structured pathway for contributors to gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and long-term engagement within the ecosystem.
The main goal of the maintainership program is to foster knowledge transfer, skills, and experience from existing maintainers to contributors. This not only helps contributors grow into maintainers but also ensures the long-term sustainability and health of the AsyncAPI initiative.
At AsyncAPI, the Maintainership Program serves as a practical framework for teaching, upskilling, and empowering contributors, creating meaningful growth for mentees and lasting impact for mentors.
To ensure a smooth and supportive experience for everyone involved, we prioritize a healthy, human-centered approach to open source. Some of the measures we take to support both contributors and mentors include:
- Minimizing stress and pressure throughout the program
- Encouraging participants to ask for help without hesitation
- Fostering regular and open communication
- Sharing stories, challenges, and personal experiences
- Aligning expectations early on
- Offering flexible timelines and deadlines
- Promoting self-care and mental well-being
Beyond technical skills, the program offers a realistic perspective on what it means to maintain an open-source project, encompassing both the rewarding and challenging aspects. It equips contributors with the skills to navigate the technical and emotional aspects of open-source work.
Why the Maintainership Program Matters?
At AsyncAPI, giving back to the community is more than a value; it’s part of our identity as a community-first open-source initiative. The Maintainership Program was born from our desire to support the very contributors who have helped make AsyncAPI successful. It's a way of investing in people, nurturing their growth, and ensuring they’re equipped to make a lasting impact in the open-source ecosystem.
With over 50 projects and more than 2,000 active contributors, the demand for project maintenance continues to grow, and yet the number of maintainers remains relatively small. This imbalance makes it difficult to manage contributions efficiently and sustainably.
The Maintainership Program provides a structured pathway for bridging that gap. By pairing experienced maintainers with active contributors over a defined period, the program offers mentorship, support, and hands-on experience, all with the goal of developing new maintainers who can help guide the initiative forward. It's a long-term investment in the health, scalability, and future of the AsyncAPI ecosystem.
More than just a mentorship opportunity, the program fosters a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and authentic career development. It creates meaningful connections between contributors and mentors, encourages knowledge sharing across projects, and builds a stronger, more resilient community — one maintainer at a time.
As Sir Isaac Newton once said, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." This program embodies that spirit, empowering the next generation of maintainers to rise by learning from those who came before them.
