How to know when a project is slowing down
There is often a nuance between a project hitting maintenance mode versus one truly sunsetting, and it usually connects directly to support for the project. As we’ve learned throughout this book, open source projects are multidimensional and require not only a strong community but a strong use case and strong investment back into the project. Let’s bring back the sustainability cycle from Chapter 10, Commercialization of Open Source, to better illustrate this:
Figure 14.2 – The Projects, Products, Profits cycle of open source sustainability (https://www.linuxfoundation.jp/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Virtuous-cycle.png)
A continuous cycle like this naturally means each part of the cycle must be working to keep the entire cycle moving. If one part goes off the tracks, the whole cycle grinds to a halt.
This is a great rubric on how to help identify when a project is slowing down and approaching...