A Starshot track lead is responsible for coordinating the work, priorities, dependencies and stakeholders around a track. They may potentially do much of the implementation work for the track but that is far from necessary. In most cases there are various stakeholders to coordinate with. Track leads for things that get into the Starshot codebase (or recipes) will need to coordinate with the tech lead and committers at minimum.

View the full list of tracks here.

Key tasks

  • Work on refining requirements and maintain a priority list of tasks to do in the track
  • Work with stakeholders when questions in their areas arise
  • Discuss requirements with Starshot leadership and/or designated lead
  • Work with Drupal Association where required, e.g., for updates to drupal.org
  • Coordinate with module maintainers on changes and releases needed
  • Work with initiative leads on timelines and priorities
  • Consult with Starshot UX team on UX needed (testing, wireframes, designs)
  • For promotional tracks, collaborate with the Drupal marketing team 
  • Do or delegate progress reporting of the track, be responsible for flagging when progress is stuck
  • Handle and delegate questions and requests from the community

FAQ

  1. How much technical implementation work is a track lead expected to do themselves vs. coordinating the work of others?
    • They are responsible for coordination, priorities, reporting, etc.
    • They are not the technical lead necessarily, but they can be if they have the expertise
  2. Who has the final say on priorities and requirements for the track - the track lead, Starshot leadership, or other stakeholders? How are conflicts resolved?

    The Drupal Starshot Leadership Team has the final say.

  3. What is the process for a track lead to request UX work like wireframes and designs from the Starshot UX team?
    Reach out to the UX Leadership or working group and coordinate on #starshot-ux-marketing
     
  4. What tools should a track lead use for maintaining the task list (hint: not GitHub :)) and reporting progress? Is there a standard tool/process for reporting updates?
    • Report on their track issue
    • Work on drupal.org (that is where they get credit)
  5. How much time per week is a track lead expected to devote to the role? Is it a full-time position or something done on the side of other work? 
    Depends, but we'd love real progress by Barcelona and within the time of Drupal Starshot.
     
  6. Can a organization be a track lead, or are track leads only individuals ? Can a Certified Partner sign up to lead a track?  If two individuals want to team up as a track lead, is that possible? 

    Yes, track leads can be individuals, teams of individuals or organizations.

  7. What skills and experience are necessary to be successful as a track lead? Is previous open source project leadership experience required?

    While technical expertise is beneficial, the role primarily focuses on strategic coordination and project management. Key responsibilities include:

    • Defining and validating requirements to ensure the track meets the expectations of our target audience
    • Developing and maintaining a prioritized task list
    • Overseeing and driving the track's implementation
    • Collaborating with key stakeholders, including the Drupal Starshot leadership team, module maintainers, the marketing team, etc.
  8. How are track leads on-boarded for the role?

    The Drupal Starshot leadership team will meet with the track leads initially to kick off the work.

  9. Will there be more/new tracks posted in the future?

    Yes, we only published the initial set of tracks.