Contribution Ladder

A transparent, merit-based path from first-time contributor to trusted maintainer in the KubeStellar community

Thresholds are expressed in leaderboard points. See the contributor leaderboard for current point values (PR Merged = 500, Bug Report = 300, PR Opened = 200, Feature Request = 100, Other Issue = 50). View the leaderboard →

How do we audit our contributor ladder?

View Real-Time Statistics→

🏆Contributor Leaderboard

Contributor

Start your journey in the KubeStellar community

Requirements:

•Earn at least 500 leaderboard points (≈ 1 merged PR, or 2 bug reports, or 5 other issues)
•Display enthusiasm and interest in long-term participation
•Be active on GitHub and Slack
•Informal application or nomination to join the mentee program

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Contributors in good standing (consistent leaderboard point growth across issue reports, PR reviews, and merged PRs) qualify for professional opportunities including assignment to mentor projects.

Next Level:

Unpaid Mentee

12 weeks

12-week journey to demonstrate commitment and skill

Requirements:

•Earn at least 40,000 leaderboard points over the 12-week cycle
•Reach at least 20,000 points within the first 6 weeks
•Attend 80% or more of weekly meetings
•Work collaboratively with mentors
•Receive mentor's recommendation

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Unpaid mentees in good standing receive certificates of completion, letters of recommendation, and priority consideration for paid mentorship programs (GSoC, LFX, etc.).

Next Level:

Paid Mentee

Recognized contributor with compensation and responsibility

Requirements:

•Earn at least 40,000 leaderboard points over the 12-week cycle
•Reach at least 20,000 points within the first 6 weeks
•Attend 80% or more of weekly meetings
•Help onboard and support at least one new mentee or contributor
•Present or co-present at a community call

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Paid mentees in good standing receive professional references, career mentorship, and opportunities to lead projects or mentor others.

Next Level:

Mentor

Guide and support the next generation of contributors

Requirements:

•Earn at least 40,000 leaderboard points over 12 weeks
•Reach at least 20,000 points within the first 6 weeks
•Attend 80% or more of weekly meetings
•Demonstrate technical leadership in one or more key areas
•Engage with the community in GitHub and Slack
•Approved by core maintainers following a public review process

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Mentors in good standing can lead initiatives, represent KubeStellar at conferences, receive speaker support, have input on project roadmap decisions, and are eligible to receive training / exam vouchers from CNCF for successfully completed projects.

Next Level:

Maintainer

Trusted leader with full project responsibilities

Requirements:

•Earn at least 5,000 leaderboard points per month
•Sustain maintainer-level presence across issues, PRs, and reviews

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Maintainers in good standing have full write access, voting rights on project decisions, and can serve as official project representatives.

Next Level:

Ambassador

Empower and advocate for KubeStellar adoption

Requirements:

•Actively promote KubeStellar through blog posts, presentations, or social media
•Represent KubeStellar at meetups, conferences, or community events
•Create educational content (tutorials, videos, demos) about KubeStellar
•Engage with users to gather feedback and support adoption
•Maintain maintainer-level leaderboard activity (sustained points from issues, PRs, and community engagement)

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Ambassadors in good standing qualify for speaking opportunities, co-authoring blog posts, early access to new features, and promotional support for their advocacy efforts.

Contributor

Start your journey in the KubeStellar community

Requirements:

•Earn at least 500 leaderboard points (≈ 1 merged PR, or 2 bug reports, or 5 other issues)
•Display enthusiasm and interest in long-term participation
•Be active on GitHub and Slack
•Informal application or nomination to join the mentee program

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Contributors in good standing (consistent leaderboard point growth across issue reports, PR reviews, and merged PRs) qualify for professional opportunities including assignment to mentor projects.

Next Level:

Unpaid Mentee

12 weeks

12-week journey to demonstrate commitment and skill

Requirements:

•Earn at least 40,000 leaderboard points over the 12-week cycle
•Reach at least 20,000 points within the first 6 weeks
•Attend 80% or more of weekly meetings
•Work collaboratively with mentors
•Receive mentor's recommendation

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Unpaid mentees in good standing receive certificates of completion, letters of recommendation, and priority consideration for paid mentorship programs (GSoC, LFX, etc.).

Next Level:

Paid Mentee

Recognized contributor with compensation and responsibility

Requirements:

•Earn at least 40,000 leaderboard points over the 12-week cycle
•Reach at least 20,000 points within the first 6 weeks
•Attend 80% or more of weekly meetings
•Help onboard and support at least one new mentee or contributor
•Present or co-present at a community call

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Paid mentees in good standing receive professional references, career mentorship, and opportunities to lead projects or mentor others.

Next Level:

Mentor

Guide and support the next generation of contributors

Requirements:

•Earn at least 40,000 leaderboard points over 12 weeks
•Reach at least 20,000 points within the first 6 weeks
•Attend 80% or more of weekly meetings
•Demonstrate technical leadership in one or more key areas
•Engage with the community in GitHub and Slack
•Approved by core maintainers following a public review process

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Next Level:

Maintainer

Trusted leader with full project responsibilities

Requirements:

•Earn at least 5,000 leaderboard points per month
•Sustain maintainer-level presence across issues, PRs, and reviews

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Maintainers in good standing have full write access, voting rights on project decisions, and can serve as official project representatives.

Next Level:

Ambassador

Empower and advocate for KubeStellar adoption

Requirements:

•Actively promote KubeStellar through blog posts, presentations, or social media
•Represent KubeStellar at meetups, conferences, or community events
•Create educational content (tutorials, videos, demos) about KubeStellar
•Engage with users to gather feedback and support adoption
•Maintain maintainer-level leaderboard activity (sustained points from issues, PRs, and community engagement)

Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from the program or title revocation.

Opportunities in Good Standing:

Ambassadors in good standing qualify for speaking opportunities, co-authoring blog posts, early access to new features, and promotional support for their advocacy efforts.

Ready to Start Your Journey?

Join the KubeStellar community and begin climbing the maintainer ladder today

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Learn Guide

Read our comprehensive contribution handbook

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