Michlmayr: Growing open-source projects with a stable foundation

Martin Michlmayr has put together a primer on managing open-source projectsthrough their growth cycle, specifically with the help of a supportfoundation, and published the results as a67-page PDF file.

Starting an open source project is easy. Running a successfulproject, on the other hand, comes with a lot of work and responsibilities,especially if the project attracts a large user base. While open sourceprojects come in all shapes and forms, most projects encounter a similarset of growth issues throughout their life cycles. Because of this, variousorganizations have arisen to help projects handle these problems; theseorganizations are generally known as FOSS foundations. This primer coversnon-technical aspects that the majority of projects will have to considerat some point. It also explains how FOSS foundations can help projects growand succeed.

He has also posted aseparate research report [PDF] on foundations that support open-sourceprojects.