Becoming a Maintainer

The natural progression of a great contributor.

What Maintainers Do

• Accept/merge PRs
• Triage issues
• Make architectural decisions
• Release new versions
• Mentor contributors
• Handle security issues

The Path

Contributor (1-2 years)
    ↓ Consistent, excellent work
Trusted Reviewer (6-12 months)
    ↓ Help with decisions
Core Team (3-6 months)
    ↓ Regular, critical work
Co-Maintainer (Informal)
    ↓ Prove sustainability
Official Maintainer

Requirements

Usually need:

• 1-2+ years of consistent contributions
• Demonstrated code quality
• Good judgment
• Reliable communication
• Time availability

Invitation Process

Most projects:

1. Contribute consistently
2. Earn trust
3. Maintainer asks if interested
4. Formal role assignment

Don't ask to be maintainer. Show you belong to the role first.

Maintainer Responsibilities

• Time commitment (5-20 hours/week)
• Decision-making authority
• Code review burden
• Community management
• Burnout risk

Great contributors become great maintainers. The path is clear if you walk it well.