Participation in GitHub Accelerator Program

[akshatnema]

Let me explain this program first and then we can have a discussion and more clarity over the program.

With the GitHub Accelerator, we want to pioneer new ways for developers to simply and sustainably work in open source full-time – built on developer's terms. Our first class of fellows will participate in a 10-week accelerator program where they will receive an initial sponsorship as well as mentorship from open-source leaders and enterprise partners on how to grow their projects and build durable streams of funding. You can find more details regarding the project here - https://accelerator.github.com/.

So, I think that various full-time contributors (or wish to work) in AsyncAPI can take one of the repositories of the organization to represent their contributions and work towards the organization and moreover, the organization can gain sponsors and funds from the program to motivate the contributors for the project. It may happen that we can get mentors for the mentorship of the selected contributors and we can even participate in teams (in case someone finds it difficult to work individually in a repo). For example, I can take the AsyncAPI website repository to work on this project and make good contributions in the time period of the program. Similarly, other maintainers of different repositories can take charge to enter into the program and gain the role of full-time working for the project inside the organization.

I will like to have a discussion on this topic on whether TSC members think this program will be efficient for our organization or not? cc: @asyncapi/tsc_members

[derberg]

Great stuff for maintainers that are not sponsored by their employers (or are unemployed yet) to work on AsyncAPI projects that they maintain, for money. Thanks @akshatnema 🙇🏼

[aeworxet]

Reading GitHub Accelerator program terms in depth:

Who can apply?
...
You must also:
...

• Be located in one of the regions supported by GitHub Sponsors
  https://github.com/sponsors

The locations' list isn't great news for some individual contributors.

To bypass restriction for locations, I would think of application from the 'AsyncAPI Initiative' GitHub organization.

You can also apply as a team for a given open source project (max of 3 people).

One of the members of the Selection Committee is

Erica Brescia
Managing Director, Redpoint and Board Member, Linux Foundation

She might have convincing arguments for other committee members to select AsyncAPI Initiative.

And one of the most important things is that

The program applications are due by December 31, 2022.

So this discussion should come to any conclusion fast.

[derberg]

as far as I can see, especially after seeing application form, I don't think this one is applicable for organizations, it is more focused on individual maintainers and specific projects

[akshatnema]

To bypass restriction for locations, I would think of application from the 'AsyncAPI Initiative' GitHub organization.

If we even apply as an organization, this may not be applicable in the program because they target the projects to fund them for future development. As an organization, when we work on different repos, we won't be able to specify the whole project target for that particular period of contribution. And, the program clearly specifies that the applicant should be the maintainer of the project/repo, so I don't think the program is anywhere targeting for the organizations.

Regarding the location restriction for some maintainers, I think they can team up with other maintainers to benefit from this program.

[fmvilas]

If someone wants to participate and is not located in any of the listed countries, let me know. I'll be happy to act as an intermediary to receive the money and send it to them.

[aeworxet]

This email, dated 'Dec 21, 2022', remained unanswered:

To: [email protected]

Subject: Receiving stipend by intermediary trusted person


Hello.
I am a contributor of 'AsyncAPI' project of the Linux Foundation
https://github.com/asyncapi

and I am not situated in the location specified at
https://github.com/sponsors

Head of 'AsyncAPI' project, Fran Méndez, located in Spain, proposes
https://github.com/orgs/asyncapi/discussions/552#discussioncomment-4421169
to global contributors who are not situated at the location supported
by GitHub Sponsors, to act as an intermediary recipient, forwarding stipend
received from GitHub Sponsors to the final beneficiary.

Is the mechanism of receiving stipend by appointed in advance trusted person
possible in GitHub Accelerator Program?


Please specify in advance, whether your answer can be shared in the
abovementioned GitHub Discussion's thread.