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Comment: made projects match

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Examples reflected in the data
Projects such as Flink, Pulsar, Iceberg , and Arrow followed this route, entering with clear community structures and graduating soon after alignment work was complete.

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2. Typical ASF Path (1–2 Years)

This is the most common route. Projects start with a small but functional team, expand participation through ASF processes, and graduate once releases, governance, and diversity are stable. Progress is steady rather than fast, balancing learning and autonomy.

Typical characteristics

  • Initial core team with moderate external engagement

  • Public development and voting culture established within months

  • One or two releases per year after early setup

  • Mentors active but not dominant in decision-making

Examples
Druid,

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Pulsar and

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APISIX show this pattern: consistent progress, gradual growth, and sustainable graduation after about two years.

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3. Emerging Community, Steady Growth

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Examples reflected in the data
Superset, Pinot, Airflow and ECharts Kafka showed this pattern with slow early progress followed by strong, sustainable communities.

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These observations highlight that incubation outcomes depend on continued participation and transparency rather than project age, size, or sponsor.

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Summary Table

PathTypical DurationCommunity CharacteristicsExample Outcomes
Established communityUnder 1 yearMulti-organisation, regular releasesFlink, Iceberg, Arrow
Typical ASF path1-2 yearsmoderate growth, stable governanceDruid,
RoickerMQ
Pulsar,
SeaTunnel
APISIX
Emerging community1–3 yearsSmall start, growing diversity
Superset
Pinot,
Pinot
Airflow,
ECharts
Kafka
Complex migration2–5 yearsLarge codebase, IP clearance focusNetBeans, IoTDB
WithdrawalVariesLimited on-list activityZipkin
Graduation then quiet2–3 yearsStrong at graduation, later slowdownMesos, MXNet, Trafodion
Extended mentorshipSeveral yearsConsistent mentor involvementSuperset, ECharts

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Incubation is about building trust, transparency, and shared ownership. Each path adds to the ASF’s collective understanding of how diverse communities grow and sustain themselves in the open.