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AsyncAPI Mentorship Program Summary - 2023

Azeez Elegbede

·8 min read

In April 2023, we embarked on the second chapter of the AsyncAPI Mentorship Program. I couldn't be more excited to share that it was a phenomenal success!

In The Beginning

Let's take a moment to reminisce about the very beginning. The buzz started with a lively Mentorship Program discussion that saw participation from over 28 eager individuals, hinting at the incredible potential of the 2023 edition. We received a total of 21 project ideas that were nothing short of impressive, covering a spectrum from coding challenges to creative designs and comprehensive documentation efforts.

The sheer variety opened doors to an overwhelming wave of candidate applications - more than 90! The applications came from contributors of various skills and backgrounds, each one rich with potential. Given the wealth of talent and ideas, our biggest hurdle was our budget, which allowed us to fund positions for only 13 candidates. After much consideration and deliberation, we also made the challenging but rewarding decision to move forward with only 10 of the 21 proposed projects.

Proposed Project IdeasSelected Project IdeasCandidate ApplicationsSelected Candidates
21109013

Common Applicant Mistakes

While we received over 90 outstanding applications(proposals), only 13 applications made it through the final phase. During the selection process, we identified patterns from most applications:

  • Quality of proposal: We noticed that most folks who were already familiar with the project or mentor assumed an automatic pass, so they spent less time working on their proposal. This is wrong and one of the reasons applicants like that got rejected. We believe everyone should work equally, irrespective of their status in the community.
  • A well-defined timeline: Most of the applicants seem to ignore the impact of the impact of having a well-written and broken-down proposal. Many applicants kept their timelines short and vague, but when reviewing this proposal, mentors must focus on the timeline because they expect you to deliver results based on the timeline provided in your proposal.
  • Communication: Mentors often select applicants who are often in communication with them during the selection process, not just to help enhance their application but to help them understand the project better and give room for asking and answering relevant questions during the application and selection phase.
  • Not an Internship: Reviewing and selecting applicants can be a tedious job, which is one of the reasons most mentors love to select applicants who don't see the program as a means to earn money. Mentors prefer folks who are interested in the project mostly because of their love for open-source projects.

The Results

As I mentioned in the beginning, the program was a success. Now, let's have a more in-depth look. Compared to 2022, when only 6 of 10 candidates completed their projects, this year, 12 out of 13 candidates successfully completed them. If you ask me, that's an outstanding improvement! But unlike the last edition, where we had no evaluation phase, I believe the introduction of the evaluation phase made a really huge impact on the success of this edition of the mentorship program.

Now, let's see what the evaluation phase was like for selected participants.

What was the Evaluation Phase like?

In the first evaluation phase, 11 candidates passed successfully, and two candidates were granted an extension to complete the phase along with the final evaluation. The second evaluation phase went smoothly, with a total of 12 candidates successfully passing. One reason for the successful second evaluation was our flexible evaluation period, allowing mentors to extend the deadline based on realistic timelines for their candidates.

The second evaluation went well, with 12 candidates successfully passing the phase. One reason for the success of the second evaluation was that we did not enforce a really strict evaluation period. We defined a specific evaluation date but enabled mentors to extend it based on the date they feel is more realistic for their candidate.

Throughout the evaluation phases, we received excellent feedback from mentors. They noted that certain mentees could develop their own solutions, think creatively, produce high-quality work, and demonstrate strong communication skills. During the first evaluation phase, some mentees had made significant progress, impressing us.

It's important to mention that we evaluated both the mentees and the mentors during the phases. This approach allows us to provide feedback to mentors for improvement and better mentorship experiences in the future.

Projects success

During the program, eight projects ranging from engineering to design and writing got some great help. Let's shine a light on some of these projects:

  • Website UI Kit design/dev project: Thanks to the success of this program, the AsyncAPI website got a design system, which is something we really wanted. Now whenever someone works on the website, there's a consistent way of doing things design-wise.
  • Simulator Desktop Application: The AsyncAPI simulator, which started as a project in GSoC '21 and was just a command-line tool, now has a version that works on desktops. Now it's easier for people to use it right from their computers.
  • Documenting how different protocols work with AsyncAPI: A group of four candidates embarked on a detailed project documenting the interaction between various protocols and AsyncAPI. Thanks to the program, they developed and published two series of tutorials covering how to use AsyncAPI with the Kafka, which has gotten 3559 views since its release, and Websocket protocols which has gotten 2689 views.
  • Add support for translations: Thanks to the implementation of the i18n, the AsyncAPI website now supports translation. It will be easier to add support for multiple languages on the website.
  • Rewriting Nodejs template to react engine with support for AsyncAPI v3: We overhauled the template by the program's success, transitioning from Nunjucks to the React template engine. Additionally, the template now supports the new AsyncAPI v3; this makes the template much easier to extend in the future with new features.

Note: Each project chosen for the program was on the receiving end of profound contributions during this phase. For brevity, we’ve highlighted only a selection.

Mentees' Successes

While all the selected projects received outstanding contributions from the mentees, I'm pleased to share some of the successes experienced by the mentees who participated in this program after its completion.

  • Path to Maintainership: After the program, the following mentees became maintainers of certain projects due to the knowledge they gained during the mentorship program.

  • Active Contributors: With the dedication and guidance provided by our mentorship program, many mentees have grown into active contributors, driving positive change and making significant impacts within our community. Their journeys from eager learners to influential leaders stand as a testament to the power of mentorship and the potential within each participant.

  • Full Circle: A few of these mentees have come full circle and now serve as mentors in this year’s Google Summer of Code (GSoC). Their transition from mentees to mentors is a testament to their exceptional growth and dedication. Once guided and nurtured through our program, these individuals are now giving back by sharing their knowledge and experience with the next generation of mentees. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and commitment to fostering a culture of learning and mentorship. Here's the list of mentees who became mentors:

  • Outside the community benefit: Thanks to the invaluable support and guidance from the program, some mentees received job offers and sought-after internships.

The achievements of these individuals highlight the transformative power of mentorship, demonstrating how dedicated support can unlock potential and pave the way for professional success. The program's successes are a testament to the hard work of our mentees and the unwavering commitment of our mentors to fostering growth and excellence.

What's Next?

Firstly, we'd like to thank everyone who made this program possible, and we are looking forward to the next edition, which will commence on the 20th of June 2024. If you are interested in participating in the next edition as a sponsor or contributor, please get in touch with us.

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Photo by SpaceX on Unsplash