New Project Checklist

This is a relatively simple checklist for you to consider when starting a new open source project, especially where the project may be starting small but wants room to grow. By "simple" we mean: This list doesn't propose a process or project management for accomplishing these items. In its most simple form it does not have definitions for items; it suggests what is to come without prescribing or demanding obedience to the list.

These are separated out into several different lists, depending on the area covered:

Goals of project

• Technical problem addressed by the project

• Intended users and value proposition

• Establish beginning roadmap with milestones

Market positioning

• List of related/similar projects

• Why a net-new project?

• Key differentiators

Project name

• Compile and vet candidate list

• Logo design

• Legal review (if required)

• Reserve name (domain name, GitHub, social media handles, etc.)

Licensing & legal

• Document license criteria

• License selection

• Need ™ or other mark registration?

Governance

• Define officers & their responsibilities

• Org structure, voting requirements and process

• Rules for amending governance

• Rules for contribution, committer status

• Provisions for sub-projects and lifecycle management

• Privacy policy

• Code of conduct

• Foundation membership options, if planned

Project infrastructure

• Mail tool (and moderators)

• Forum/Chat (and moderators)

• Doc repository (slides, planning docs, etc.)

• Web conferencing platform

• Community calendar (tool + who will maintain)

• Public website and website maintenance

• CI/CD, development and test environments

• Lab requirements, how they will be acquired

• Code contribution tools and process

• Project documentation platform

Ownership and financing

These items may be ignored if donating project assets to a foundation.

• Website URL

• Logo

• Social media handles

• Web conferencing platform (if paid)

• Process for funding project needs

Launch planning

• D&I plan

• Community health and metrics vision/plan