FAWKES INTERNAL DELIVERY PLATFORM: COMPREHENSIVE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Fawkes is positioned as an open-source Internal Delivery Platform focused on DevSecOps automation, multi-cloud infrastructure provisioning, and DORA-driven excellence. The platform has established a solid technical foundation with Terraform-based infrastructure automation, workspace provisioning, and AWS support. However, to achieve MVP status and attract a vibrant contributor community, Fawkes requires strategic focus on three critical areas:

1. Integration & Cohesion: While individual tools are planned (Jenkins, Backstage, Spinnaker, etc.), the platform needs deeper integration patterns, a unified developer portal experience, and seamless GitOps workflows that tie components together into a cohesive delivery platform rather than a collection of tools.

2. Community & Documentation: The current documentation provides basic getting-started guidance, but lacks the comprehensive tutorials, architectural decision records, contributor onboarding materials, and learning curriculum (the “dojo” concept) that will differentiate Fawkes and attract contributors, particularly those completing Platform Engineering University certifications.

3. Observability & Metrics Foundation: The platform’s commitment to DORA metrics and NPS measurement needs implementation—specifically, automated collection of the four key metrics, dashboarding, and the feedback loops that will validate platform improvements and guide roadmap decisions.

The recommended path to MVP focuses on delivering a “Day 1 to Production in 1 Day” experience: a new team can provision infrastructure, deploy a sample application with full CI/CD, view DORA metrics, and access learning resources—all within 8 hours. This tangible value proposition, combined with strategic certification alignment and community building, positions Fawkes for rapid adoption and contributor growth.

GAP ANALYSIS MATRIX

IDP Capability Dimension	Current State	Target State	Gap Description	Industry Benchmark	Business Impact	Priority
Developer Self-Service	2/5	5/5	Infrastructure provisioning exists via scripts, but lacks service catalog, environment templates, or self-service portal. Developers must understand Terraform and cloud provider specifics.	Backstage with software templates, Humanitec, Port.io offering 1-click environment creation	HIGH - Direct impact on developer productivity and platform adoption	P0
Golden Paths & Templates	2/5	5/5	Java Spring Boot template exists; missing polyglot support (Python, Node.js, Go), reference architectures, and opinionated CI/CD pipeline templates	Spotify’s Golden Paths, Netflix’s paved roads with 80% adoption rates	HIGH - Reduces cognitive load, accelerates onboarding	P0
Portal & Service Discovery	1/5	5/5	Backstage planned but not integrated. No service catalog, API documentation, or dependency visualization	Backstage with TechDocs, ServiceNow integration, Compass by Atlassian	HIGH - Critical for platform discoverability and adoption	P0
GitOps Maturity	2/5	5/5	Infrastructure-as-code present; lacking declarative application deployment, automated sync, rollback mechanisms	ArgoCD/Flux adoption with progressive delivery (Flagger), automated drift detection	MEDIUM - Important for operational excellence	P1
CI/CD Automation	2/5	5/5	Jenkins and Spinnaker planned but not deployed. Missing pipeline-as-code templates, automated testing gates, deployment strategies	GitHub Actions with reusable workflows, Tekton pipelines, automated canary deployments	HIGH - Core platform capability	P0
Observability Stack	1/5	5/5	OpenTelemetry, Prometheus, Jaeger, OpenSearch planned but not implemented. No DORA metrics collection	Grafana dashboards with DORA metrics, distributed tracing, log aggregation with correlation IDs	HIGH - Essential for metrics-driven improvement	P0
Security & Compliance	3/5	5/5	Security consciousness present with planned scanning. Missing policy-as-code (OPA), secrets management (Vault), SBOM generation, zero-trust implementation	Trivy/Snyk integration, OPA Gatekeeper, Vault, Falco runtime security, SLSA compliance	HIGH - Security is a differentiator	P1
Developer Experience (DevEx)	2/5	5/5	Workspace automation for macOS/Windows exists. Eclipse Che planned. Missing onboarding metrics, feedback loops, developer satisfaction tracking	<8 hour onboarding time, NPS >50, Inner Source portal, developer advocacy program	HIGH - Directly impacts adoption and retention	P0
Learning & Dojo Curriculum	1/5	5/5	Concept defined but not implemented. No structured learning paths, hands-on labs, or certification alignment	Dojo environments by Target, learning paths by ThoughtWorks, certification integration	MEDIUM - Differentiator for community building	P1
Multi-Cloud Abstraction	2/5	4/5	AWS supported via Terraform. Azure/GCP/VMware planned. Missing Crossplane implementation for true abstraction	Crossplane with provider-agnostic compositions, Cluster API for K8s management	MEDIUM - Important for enterprise adoption	P2
DORA Metrics Tracking	1/5	5/5	Philosophy articulated, but no automated collection, dashboarding, or team-level visibility	Automated collection via webhooks, team dashboards, trend analysis, benchmark comparisons	HIGH - Core value proposition	P0
NPS & Feedback Loops	1/5	4/5	NPS mentioned as success metric but no collection mechanism implemented	Quarterly NPS surveys, in-app feedback, user interviews, satisfaction dashboards	MEDIUM - Essential for continuous improvement	P1
API & Extensibility	2/5	4/5	Modular scripts and Terraform modules provide some extensibility. Missing plugin architecture, webhook system, or API layer	Backstage plugin ecosystem, Kubernetes operator pattern, webhook integrations	MEDIUM - Enables community contributions	P2
Multi-Tenancy & RBAC	2/5	5/5	Kubernetes RBAC available. Missing namespace-per-team automation, resource quotas, network policies, policy enforcement	Hierarchical namespaces, Capsule/vCluster for isolation, automated RBAC provisioning	MEDIUM - Required for production adoption	P2
Documentation Quality	3/5	5/5	Getting started guide exists. Missing architecture docs, ADRs, troubleshooting guides, video tutorials, API docs	GitBook/Docusaurus site, OpenAPI specs, architecture diagrams (C4 model), video walkthroughs	HIGH - Critical for contributor onboarding	P0
Testing & Validation	3/5	5/5	InSpec tests present. Missing contract testing, chaos engineering, performance testing, automated security scanning	Contract tests (Pact), Chaos Mesh, k6 load testing, automated penetration testing	MEDIUM - Ensures platform reliability	P2

Gap Analysis Summary

Critical Gaps (P0 - MVP Blockers):

Developer portal and self-service catalog
CI/CD pipeline implementation and templates
Observability stack deployment
DORA metrics collection and dashboards
Enhanced documentation and onboarding
Golden path templates

High Priority (P1 - Early Post-MVP):

GitOps implementation with ArgoCD/Flux
Security tooling integration (scanning, secrets, policy)
Learning curriculum and dojo environment
NPS collection mechanism

Medium Priority (P2 - Roadmap Items):

Crossplane for multi-cloud abstraction
Advanced multi-tenancy features
Plugin architecture
Comprehensive testing frameworks

MVP SCOPE DEFINITION

MVP Vision Statement

“From Zero to Production in One Day” - A platform engineer or development team can provision a fully functional, secure, observable Kubernetes environment with sample application deployment, CI/CD pipelines, and DORA metric tracking within 8 hours.

MVP Success Criteria

✅ 2-3 early adopter teams successfully deploy applications
✅ All four DORA metrics automatically collected and visualized
✅ 5+ external contributors make meaningful contributions
✅ Core documentation complete with 90%+ coverage
✅ Platform Engineering University certification integration announced
✅ <4 hours from cluster provision to first application deployment

IN SCOPE (MVP Features)

1. Infrastructure Foundation ✓ (Mostly Complete)

AWS Kubernetes cluster provisioning via Terraform
VPC, networking, security group automation
Basic IAM and access controls
Justification: Already implemented; foundational requirement

2. Developer Portal (Backstage)

Backstage deployment with basic configuration
Software catalog with 3-5 templates (Java Spring Boot, Python FastAPI, Node.js Express)
TechDocs integration for documentation
Service catalog showing deployed applications
Justification: Single pane of glass for developer experience; critical for self-service

3. CI/CD Core Pipelines

Jenkins deployment with Kubernetes plugin
2-3 golden path Jenkinsfiles (build, test, deploy)
Basic Spinnaker integration for deployment strategies
Automated Docker image building and scanning
Justification: Core platform capability; enables continuous delivery

4. Observability Basics

Prometheus deployment with basic metrics collection
Grafana with DORA metrics dashboard (4 key metrics)
OpenTelemetry collector configuration
Basic log aggregation with OpenSearch
Justification: Enables metrics-driven improvement and DORA tracking

5. GitOps Foundation

ArgoCD or Flux deployment
Git repository structure for declarative configuration
Automated sync for platform components
Rollback capabilities
Justification: Alignment with DORA best practices; operational excellence

6. Security Scanning

SonarQube deployment and integration with CI
Container image scanning (Trivy)
Basic secrets scanning (git-secrets or TruffleHog)
Justification: DevSecOps foundation; security is non-negotiable

7. Golden Path Templates

Java Spring Boot (existing)
Python microservice with FastAPI
Node.js/Express service
Each with: Dockerfile, Jenkinsfile, K8s manifests, README
Justification: Reduces time-to-first-deployment; demonstrates platform value

8. DORA Metrics Automation

Webhook integrations for deployment events
Automated calculation of 4 key metrics
Team-level dashboard in Grafana
Historical trending (30-day view)
Justification: Core differentiator; validates platform value

9. MVP Documentation

Comprehensive Getting Started (with video walkthrough)
Architecture overview with diagrams
Contributor guide with “good first issues”
Troubleshooting guide
API/configuration reference
Justification: Critical for adoption and contributor onboarding

10. Community Infrastructure

GitHub Discussions enabled
Slack/Discord community channel
Bi-weekly office hours schedule
Contributor recognition system
Justification: Enables community building and support

OUT OF SCOPE (Post-MVP)

1. Multi-Cloud Support (Azure, GCP, VMware)

Reasoning: AWS provides sufficient validation; multi-cloud adds complexity without immediate value demonstration. Crossplane can be introduced post-MVP for cloud abstraction.

2. Eclipse Che Browser-Based Workspaces

Reasoning: Local workspace automation (macOS/Windows) is sufficient for MVP. Che requires significant setup and maintenance.

3. Advanced Security (Vault, OPA, Runtime Security)

Reasoning: Basic scanning covers DevSecOps foundation. Advanced security tooling can follow once core platform proves value.

4. Spinnaker Advanced Deployment Strategies

Reasoning: Basic canary/blue-green via Spinnaker is sufficient. Advanced strategies (traffic splitting, automated rollback) are optimization, not MVP requirements.

5. Comprehensive Dojo Curriculum

Reasoning: Focus on platform functionality first. A “Dojo Lite” (3-5 learning modules) aligned with Platform Engineering University certs can be included post-MVP.

6. Advanced Observability (Jaeger, Distributed Tracing)

Reasoning: Prometheus + basic logging covers observability. Distributed tracing adds complexity better addressed after teams are using the platform.

7. NPS Collection & Analysis

Reasoning: Important for continuous improvement but not blocking for MVP. Simple surveys can be introduced within 30 days post-MVP.

8. Multi-Tenancy & Advanced RBAC

Reasoning: Basic Kubernetes RBAC suffices for MVP with 2-3 teams. Advanced isolation (namespace hierarchies, resource quotas) comes with scale.

9. Crossplane for Infrastructure Abstraction

Reasoning: Terraform modules provide sufficient abstraction for MVP. Crossplane’s value emerges when supporting multiple clouds.

10. Performance Testing & Chaos Engineering

Reasoning: Platform stability is more important than advanced testing at MVP. These practices are valuable for mature platforms.

PRIORITIZED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Phase 0: Foundation & Governance (Weeks 1-2)

Week 1: Project Governance & Setup

Establish Project Governance Framework [2 days] 1.1. Create GOVERNANCE.md with decision-making process, maintainer roles, and voting procedures [0.5 days] 1.2. Define code of conduct based on Contributor Covenant [0.5 days] 1.3. Set up GitHub labels, issue templates, and PR templates [0.5 days] 1.4. Establish project charter with mission, vision, and values [0.5 days] ⚠️ Risk: Governance too heavy-handed can slow early momentum
Communication Infrastructure [1 day] 2.1. Create Slack or Discord community workspace [0.25 days] 2.2. Set up GitHub Discussions with Q&A, Ideas, and Showcase categories [0.25 days] 2.3. Schedule bi-weekly office hours (initial schedule for 12 weeks) [0.25 days] 2.4. Create community calendar and meeting notes repository [0.25 days]
CI/CD for Platform Repository [2 days] 3.1. Set up GitHub Actions for automated testing of Terraform modules [0.5 days] 3.2. Implement automated documentation generation [0.5 days] 3.3. Configure branch protection rules and required checks [0.5 days] 3.4. Create dogfooding environment for platform team [0.5 days] → Depends on: AWS account and credentials ⚠️ Risk: Infrastructure costs during development
Architectural Decision Records (ADR) Process [1 day] 4.1. Create ADR template based on Michael Nygard format [0.25 days] 4.2. Document initial ADRs for key technology choices (Why Jenkins? Why Backstage? Why Terraform over Pulumi?) [0.75 days]

Week 2: Documentation Foundation & Planning

Enhanced Documentation Structure [3 days] 5.1. Create documentation site structure (recommend Docusaurus or GitBook) [0.5 days] 5.2. Write architecture overview with C4 diagrams (Context, Container, Component) [1 day] 5.3. Document current vs. target state architecture [0.5 days] 5.4. Create initial API/configuration reference for Terraform modules [0.5 days] 5.5. Set up automated documentation deployment [0.5 days] → Depends on: ADRs from Task 4
MVP Backlog Creation & Sprint Planning [2 days] 6.1. Create detailed GitHub issues for all MVP tasks with acceptance criteria [1 day] 6.2. Establish 2-week sprint cadence with retrospective template [0.25 days] 6.3. Prioritize and sequence work based on dependencies [0.5 days] 6.4. Identify “good first issues” for community contributors [0.25 days]

Phase 1: Core Platform Infrastructure (Weeks 3-5)

Week 3: Backstage Developer Portal

Backstage Initial Deployment [3 days] 7.1. Deploy Backstage using Helm chart to Kubernetes cluster [0.5 days] 7.2. Configure authentication (GitHub OAuth recommended) [0.5 days] 7.3. Set up PostgreSQL backend for catalog persistence [0.5 days] 7.4. Configure ingress and domain routing [0.5 days] 7.5. Integrate with GitHub for repository discovery [1 day] → Depends on: Kubernetes cluster from existing infrastructure ⚠️ Risk: Backstage configuration complexity; recommend starting with minimal plugins
Software Templates Creation [4 days] 8.1. Create Backstage template for Java Spring Boot (adapt existing) [1 day] 8.2. Create Backstage template for Python FastAPI microservice [1 day] 8.3. Create Backstage template for Node.js Express API [1 day] 8.4. Test each template end-to-end (scaffold → deploy → verify) [1 day] → Depends on: Task 7 Note: Each template must include Dockerfile, Jenkinsfile, K8s manifests, README
TechDocs Integration [2 days] 9.1. Enable TechDocs plugin in Backstage [0.5 days] 9.2. Create docs-as-code structure in template repositories [0.5 days] 9.3. Configure automated documentation generation [0.5 days] 9.4. Create sample documentation for each template [0.5 days] → Depends on: Task 7

Week 4: CI/CD Core Implementation

Jenkins Deployment & Configuration [3 days] 10.1. Deploy Jenkins using Helm chart with persistent storage [0.5 days] 10.2. Configure Kubernetes plugin for dynamic agent provisioning [1 day] 10.3. Install required plugins (Git, Docker, Pipeline, Kubernetes) [0.5 days] 10.4. Set up credentials and service accounts [0.5 days] 10.5. Configure Jenkins Configuration as Code (JCasC) [0.5 days] → Depends on: Kubernetes cluster ⚠️ Risk: Jenkins scalability; consider Jenkins X or Tekton as alternatives
Golden Path Jenkinsfiles [4 days] 11.1. Create shared library for common pipeline functions [1 day] 11.2. Build Jenkinsfile template for Java builds (Maven/Gradle) [1 day] 11.3. Build Jenkinsfile template for Python (pytest, coverage) [1 day] 11.4. Build Jenkinsfile template for Node.js (npm, jest) [1 day] → Depends on: Task 10 Note: Each Jenkinsfile must include: checkout, build, test, scan, containerize, push, deploy stages
Container Registry Setup [1 day] 12.1. Deploy Harbor or configure AWS ECR integration [0.5 days] 12.2. Configure RBAC and repository structure [0.25 days] 12.3. Integrate with Jenkins pipelines [0.25 days] → Depends on: Task 10

Week 5: Security & GitOps Foundation

SonarQube Deployment & Integration [2 days] 13.1. Deploy SonarQube using Helm chart [0.5 days] 13.2. Configure PostgreSQL for SonarQube data [0.25 days] 13.3. Create quality gates and profiles [0.5 days] 13.4. Integrate with Jenkins pipelines [0.5 days] 13.5. Configure webhooks for PR decoration [0.25 days] → Depends on: Task 10
Security Scanning Implementation [2 days] 14.1. Integrate Trivy for container image scanning [0.5 days] 14.2. Add git-secrets or TruffleHog to pipelines [0.5 days] 14.3. Configure security gates in pipelines (fail on high/critical vulnerabilities) [0.5 days] 14.4. Create security scanning reports in Jenkins [0.5 days] → Depends on: Task 11
GitOps with ArgoCD [3 days] 15.1. Deploy ArgoCD using Helm chart [0.5 days] 15.2. Configure GitHub repositories for application definitions [0.5 days] 15.3. Create application sets for multi-environment deployments [1 day] 15.4. Implement automated sync and rollback policies [0.5 days] 15.5. Integrate with Backstage for visibility [0.5 days] → Depends on: Task 7 Alternative: Flux CD if GitOps Toolkit approach preferred

Phase 2: Observability & Metrics (Weeks 6-8)

Week 6: Observability Stack Deployment

Prometheus & Grafana Setup [3 days] 16.1. Deploy Prometheus Operator using kube-prometheus-stack [0.5 days] 16.2. Configure ServiceMonitors for Jenkins, Backstage, ArgoCD [1 day] 16.3. Deploy Grafana with pre-configured datasources [0.5 days] 16.4. Set up alerting rules for critical platform components [1 day] → Depends on: Previous infrastructure tasks ⚠️ Risk: Prometheus storage sizing; consider Thanos for long-term retention
OpenTelemetry Collector Configuration [2 days] 17.1. Deploy OpenTelemetry Collector as DaemonSet [0.5 days] 17.2. Configure receivers for logs, metrics, and traces [0.5 days] 17.3. Set up exporters to Prometheus and OpenSearch [0.5 days] 17.4. Instrument sample applications with OTel SDKs [0.5 days] → Depends on: Task 16
OpenSearch for Log Aggregation [3 days] 18.1. Deploy OpenSearch cluster using Helm chart [1 day] 18.2. Configure Fluent Bit for log collection [0.5 days] 18.3. Create index patterns and dashboards [0.5 days] 18.4. Set up log retention policies [0.5 days] 18.5. Integrate with Grafana for unified view [0.5 days] → Depends on: Task 17 ⚠️ Risk: OpenSearch resource requirements; consider starting with single-node for MVP

Week 7: DORA Metrics Implementation

DORA Metrics Data Collection [4 days] 19.1. Design webhook receivers for deployment events (Jenkins, ArgoCD, Spinnaker) [1 day] 19.2. Implement deployment frequency metric collection [0.5 days] 19.3. Implement lead time for changes calculation (Git commit → deployment) [1 day] 19.4. Implement change failure rate tracking (deployment → incident correlation) [1 day] 19.5. Implement time to restore service measurement [0.5 days] → Depends on: Tasks 10, 15, 16 Technical Approach: Create lightweight Go/Python service to receive webhooks and write to Prometheus
DORA Metrics Dashboard [2 days] 20.1. Create Grafana dashboard with all 4 key metrics [1 day] 20.2. Add team-level filtering and drill-downs [0.5 days] 20.3. Implement 30-day trending and historical views [0.25 days] 20.4. Add benchmark comparison (elite, high, medium, low performers) [0.25 days] → Depends on: Task 19
DORA Metrics Documentation [1 day] 21.1. Document metric definitions and calculation methods [0.5 days] 21.2. Create guide for teams on improving metrics [0.25 days] 21.3. Add metrics to Backstage documentation [0.25 days]

Week 8: Spinnaker & Deployment Strategies

Spinnaker Deployment [3 days] 22.1. Deploy Spinnaker using Halyard or Operator [1 day] 22.2. Configure Kubernetes provider for application deployments [0.5 days] 22.3. Integrate with Jenkins for artifact triggering [0.5 days] 22.4. Set up initial application and pipeline [1 day] → Depends on: Tasks 10, 15 ⚠️ Risk: Spinnaker complexity; consider alternatives like Argo Rollouts for simpler progressive delivery
Deployment Strategy Templates [2 days] 23.1. Create blue-green deployment pipeline template [0.5 days] 23.2. Create canary deployment pipeline with automated analysis [1 day] 23.3. Create rolling deployment pipeline [0.5 days] → Depends on: Task 22
Integration Testing & Validation [2 days] 24.1. Deploy test applications using each template [0.5 days] 24.2. Validate end-to-end workflows (code → CI → CD → observe) [1 day] 24.3. Document issues and create bug fix backlog [0.5 days]

Phase 3: Documentation & Community (Weeks 9-11)

Week 9: Comprehensive Documentation

Getting Started Guide Enhancement [3 days] 25.1. Write detailed prerequisites section (tools, accounts, access) [0.5 days] 25.2. Create step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots [1 day] 25.3. Record video walkthrough (15-20 minutes) [1 day] 25.4. Add common pitfalls and troubleshooting section [0.5 days]
Architecture Documentation [2 days] 26.1. Create C4 Context diagram showing system boundaries [0.5 days] 26.2. Create C4 Container diagram showing major components [0.5 days] 26.3. Create C4 Component diagrams for key subsystems [0.5 days] 26.4. Write narrative architecture description [0.5 days]
Contributor Onboarding Guide [2 days] 27.1. Write development environment setup guide [0.5 days] 27.2. Create contribution workflow documentation [0.5 days] 27.3. Document coding standards and testing requirements [0.5 days] 27.4. Create “good first issues” guide with 10-15 labeled issues [0.5 days]

Week 10: Dojo Curriculum Foundation

Dojo Curriculum Design [3 days] 28.1. Map DORA 24 capabilities to Fawkes features [1 day] 28.2. Create learning path outline (5 modules) [0.5 days] 28.3. Align modules with Platform Engineering University certifications [0.5 days] 28.4. Define hands-on lab exercises for each module [1 day]
Initial Learning Modules [4 days] 29.1. Module 1: Platform Overview & Setup (align with Getting Started) [1 day] 29.2. Module 2: CI/CD Golden Paths (hands-on pipeline creation) [1 day] 29.3. Module 3: Observability & DORA Metrics (dashboard creation) [1 day] 29.4. Module 4: GitOps & Deployment Strategies (canary deployment lab) [1 day] → Depends on: Task 28 Note: Each module should be 1-2 hours, include video, written guide, and hands-on exercise

Week 11: Launch Preparation

Launch Content Creation [3 days] 30.1. Write launch blog post (1500-2000 words) [1 day] 30.2. Create social media announcement content [0.5 days] 30.3. Prepare demo environment and showcase video [1 day] 30.4. Draft email announcement for Platform Engineering University networks [0.5 days]
Community Infrastructure Finalization [2 days] 31.1. Populate FAQ based on early testing feedback [0.5 days] 31.2. Set up contributor recognition system (all-contributors bot) [0.5 days] 31.3. Create roadmap visualization (GitHub Projects or external tool) [0.5 days] 31.4. Schedule launch-week office hours and AMA sessions [0.5 days]
Final Testing & Bug Fixes [2 days] 32.1. Conduct end-to-end platform testing with external beta users [1 day] 32.2. Fix critical and high-priority bugs discovered [1 day] → Depends on: All previous tasks

Phase 4: MVP Launch & Iteration (Week 12)

Week 12: Launch Week

Official Launch [1 day] 33.1. Publish launch blog post and documentation [0.25 days] 33.2. Announce on social media (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Reddit) [0.25 days] 33.3. Submit to CNCF Landscape, Platform Engineering newsletter, DevOps communities [0.25 days] 33.4. Announce certification alignment and learning paths [0.25 days]
Launch Week Activities [3 days] 34.1. Host daily live streams/office hours (5 sessions) [2 days] 34.2. Conduct AMA session with maintainers [0.5 days] 34.3. Engage with community feedback and questions [0.5 days]
Post-Launch Metrics & Retrospective [1 day] 35.1. Analyze launch metrics (GitHub stars, clones, contributors) [0.25 days] 35.2. Review community feedback and prioritize next features [0.25 days] 35.3. Conduct team retrospective [0.25 days] 35.4. Update roadmap based on learnings [0.25 days]

COMMUNITY BUILDING PLAYBOOK

Pre-Launch (30 Days Before)

Weeks 1-2: Content Creation & Positioning

✅ Write “Why Fawkes?” positioning document highlighting DORA alignment
✅ Create technical deep-dive blog posts (3-4 articles):
- “Building an IDP from First Principles”
- “DORA Metrics Automation: Our Approach”
- “Zero Trust in Platform Engineering”
- “Dojo-Style Learning for Platform Teams”
✅ Produce demo video showing “Zero to Deploy in 30 Minutes”
✅ Set up social media presence (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Mastodon)
✅ Prepare speaker abstracts for KubeCon, PlatformCon, DevOpsDays

Weeks 3-4: Relationship Building

✅ Reach out to Platform Engineering influencers:
- Luca Galante (Platform Engineering newsletter)
- Team Topologies authors (Manuel Pais, Matthew Skelton)
- CNCF ambassadors
- Platform Engineering University instructors
✅ Submit Fawkes to CNCF Landscape (Developer Portal category)
✅ Engage in Platform Engineering Slack communities
✅ Create partnerships with complementary tools (propose integrations with Backstage, ArgoCD communities)
✅ Identify 3-5 early adopter organizations for beta testing
✅ Schedule guest appearances on platform engineering podcasts (Platform Engineering Podcast, DevOps Paradox)

Launch Week (Day-by-Day Plan)

Monday: The Big Announcement

🚀 8:00 AM ET: Publish launch blog post on GitHub and Medium
🚀 8:30 AM ET: Social media announcements (Twitter thread, LinkedIn post)
🚀 9:00 AM ET: Submit to Hacker News, Reddit r/devops, r/kubernetes
🚀 10:00 AM ET: Email announcement to Platform Engineering University community
🚀 2:00 PM ET: Live stream “Fawkes Overview & Demo” (1 hour)
🚀 4:00 PM ET: Office hours for questions and troubleshooting (1 hour)
📊 Evening: Monitor metrics, respond to comments, engage with community

Tuesday: Deep Dive - DORA Metrics

📝 Morning: Publish “How Fawkes Automates DORA Metrics” blog post
🎥 2:00 PM ET: Live stream “Building DORA Dashboards” hands-on workshop (1.5 hours)
💬 4:00 PM ET: Office hours focused on metrics and observability
🎯 Evening: Identify and label “good first issues” for metrics enhancements

Wednesday: Developer Experience Focus

📝 Morning: Publish “Golden Paths: Reducing Developer Cognitive Load” article
🎥 2:00 PM ET: Live stream “Creating Custom Templates in Backstage” (1 hour)
💬 4:00 PM ET: Office hours for template contributions
🤝 Evening: Reach out to early contributors, offer pairing sessions

Thursday: Security & Compliance

📝 Morning: Publish “DevSecOps in Fawkes: Shift-Left Security” article
🎥 2:00 PM ET: Live stream “Implementing Zero Trust Principles” (1 hour)
💬 4:00 PM ET: Security-focused office hours
🔒 Evening: Engage with InfoSec community (r/netsec, security Twitter)

Friday: Community & Future Roadmap

📝 Morning: Publish “Fawkes Roadmap & How to Contribute” article
🎥 2:00 PM ET: AMA with maintainers - “Building the Future of Platform Engineering” (2 hours)
🎉 4:00 PM ET: Virtual happy hour / celebration with early contributors
📊 Evening: Week retrospective, analyze metrics, plan next steps

Post-Launch Engagement Plan (First 90 Days)

Month 1: Momentum Building

Week 1-2: Rapid Response

Daily monitoring of GitHub issues, discussions, and community channels
24-hour response time SLA for all questions
Weekly “This Week in Fawkes” update posts
Identify and onboard first 5 contributors with pairing sessions
Create video tutorials based on common questions

Week 3-4: Content Expansion

Publish case study from early adopter organization
Create comparison guides: “Fawkes vs. Humanitec”, “Fawkes vs. Building Your Own IDP”
Launch “Platform Engineering Patterns” blog series
Submit talks to Q2 conferences (KubeCon EU, DevOpsDays events)
Start bi-weekly community calls (open to all)

Month 2: Scaling Engagement

Focus: Contributor Growth

Launch “Contributor of the Month” recognition program
Create specialized interest groups (SIGs):
- SIG Security
- SIG Multi-Cloud
- SIG Observability
- SIG Learning & Curriculum
Host first contributor sprint (virtual, weekend hackathon)
Partner with Platform Engineering University for certification integration workshop
Publish first “State of Fawkes” metrics report (adoption, contributions, DORA improvements)

Content Strategy

2 technical blog posts per week
1 video tutorial per week
Guest posts on CNCF blog, DZone, InfoQ
Podcast circuit: appear on 2-3 platform/DevOps podcasts

Month 3: Ecosystem Building

Focus: Integrations & Partnerships

Launch “Fawkes Plugins” marketplace (even if just GitHub topic to start)
Partner with cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) for reference architectures
Create integration guides for popular tools not yet included
Host first in-person meetup (if possible) or regional virtual meetups
Establish advisory board with 3-5 platform engineering leaders

Community Health Metrics Tracking

GitHub stars growth rate (target: 500+ by month 3)
Contributors (target: 20+ unique contributors)
PRs merged (target: 50+ PRs)
Community members (Slack/Discord, target: 300+)
Documentation page views (target: 5,000+ monthly)
Demo/tutorial video views (target: 2,000+ total)

Content Calendar Template

Weekly Content Rhythm:

Monday: Technical blog post (architecture, implementation details)
Tuesday: Video tutorial or live stream
Wednesday: Community highlight (contributor spotlight, use case)
Thursday: “This Week in Platform Engineering” curated news with Fawkes perspective
Friday: Office hours + weekly update post

Monthly Deep Dives:

Month 1: DORA Metrics & Measurement
Month 2: Security & Compliance
Month 3: Multi-Cloud Strategies
Month 4: Learning & Dojo Implementation
Month 5: Advanced GitOps Patterns
Month 6: Platform as Product

Contributor Journey Map

Stage 1: Awareness (Week 1)

Touchpoints: Social media, Hacker News, blog posts, conference talks
Content: “Why Fawkes exists”, demo videos, comparison guides
CTA: Star the repo, join community Slack/Discord

Stage 2: Exploration (Week 2-3)

Touchpoints: Documentation, getting started guide, office hours
Content: Video walkthroughs, architecture deep-dives
CTA: Deploy Fawkes in test environment, provide feedback

Stage 3: First Contribution (Week 4-6)

Touchpoints: “Good first issues”, contributor guide, pairing offers
Content: Contribution workflow videos, code walkthroughs
Support: Maintainer pairing sessions, detailed PR feedback
CTA: Submit first PR (documentation or small bug fix)

Stage 4: Regular Contributor (Month 2-3)

Touchpoints: Community calls, SIG meetings, contributor Slack channel
Content: Advanced architecture discussions, roadmap planning
Recognition: Contributor of the Month, listed in README
CTA: Take ownership of feature or component

Stage 5: Maintainer (Month 4+)

Touchpoints: Maintainer meetings, decision-making processes
Responsibility: Code reviews, release management, community support
Recognition: Maintainer badge, speaking opportunities, advisory board
CTA: Mentor new contributors, lead SIG or major feature

CERTIFICATION LEVERAGE STRATEGY

Strategic Positioning Statement

“Fawkes: Where Platform Engineering Theory Meets Practice”

Position Fawkes as the practical implementation playground for Platform Engineering University concepts, enabling students and professionals to immediately apply certification knowledge in a production-quality environment.

Key Messaging Points

Hands-On Learning: “Learn observability in the morning, implement it in Fawkes by afternoon”
Certification Alignment: “Built by platform engineers, for platform engineers—designed around industry-recognized best practices”
Real-World Application: “Not just another tutorial—a production-grade IDP you can actually use”
Community-Driven: “Learn with a global community of platform engineering practitioners”

Integration with Platform Engineering University

Observability in Platform Engineering Certification

Alignment:
- Fawkes implements OpenTelemetry, Prometheus, Grafana stack covered in curriculum
- DORA metrics dashboards demonstrate observability best practices
- Distributed tracing architecture follows course patterns
Practical Lab: “Deploy Fawkes and configure observability for your application”
Case Study: Document how Fawkes’ observability stack was architected using course principles
Guest Lecture Opportunity: Offer to present “Building Observability into an IDP” to course participants

Cloud Development Environments in Platform Engineering Certification

Alignment:
- Eclipse Che integration (roadmap) directly relates to course content
- Current workspace automation (macOS/Windows) demonstrates CDE principles
- Backstage templates create standardized development experiences
Practical Lab: “Create a custom CDE template in Fawkes”
Case Study: “Evolving from Local Workspaces to Cloud Development Environments”
Partnership: Co-create module on “IDP-Integrated CDEs”

Content & Speaking Opportunities

Opportunity Type	Topic	Timeline	Format	Audience
Guest Lecture	”Fawkes: Open Source IDP Case Study”	Month 1	60-min presentation	Platform Eng University students
Workshop	”Hands-On: Deploy Your First IDP”	Month 2	2-hour hands-on lab	Certification candidates
Blog Series	”From Certification to Implementation”	Months 1-3	6-part blog series	Broader platform community
Conference Talk	”Building an IDP: Lessons from Fawkes”	Month 4-6	30-min talk	KubeCon, PlatformCon
Webinar	”DORA Metrics Automation in Practice”	Month 2	45-min webinar	DevOps practitioners
Podcast	”Platform Engineering Education & Open Source”	Month 3	30-45 min interview	Platform Eng Podcast
Tutorial	”Zero to Production Platform in 4 Hours”	Month 4	Video series (4x1hr)	YouTube, Platform Eng channels
Academic Paper	”Open Source IDP: Architecture & Adoption”	Months 6-9	Research paper	IEEE Software, ACM Queue

Certification Badge Program

Fawkes Certification Tiers (Complementary to Platform Engineering University):

Level 1: Platform Operator

Deploy Fawkes in AWS
Onboard one application with CI/CD
Configure basic observability
Badge: “Fawkes Certified Operator”
Duration: 8 hours

Level 2: Platform Engineer

Create custom Backstage template
Implement deployment strategy (canary/blue-green)
Configure DORA metrics for team
Contribute documentation or bug fix
Badge: “Fawkes Certified Engineer”
Duration: 16 hours

Level 3: Platform Architect

Design multi-environment setup
Implement security scanning pipeline
Create custom dojo curriculum module
Contribute significant feature
Badge: “Fawkes Certified Architect”
Duration: 40 hours

Timeline for Certification Integration

Month 1 (Launch)

✅ Announce alignment with Platform Engineering University certifications
✅ Publish mapping document: “PEU Concepts → Fawkes Implementation”
✅ Reach out to course instructors for partnership discussion

Month 2

✅ Guest lecture in Observability course
✅ Create hands-on lab module for CDE course
✅ Launch “Certification to Implementation” blog series

Month 3

✅ Host joint webinar with Platform Engineering University
✅ Feature Fawkes in course materials (with permission)
✅ Offer discount/scholarship for students contributing to Fawkes

Month 4-6

✅ Launch Fawkes certification program
✅ Create co-branded learning paths
✅ Establish ongoing partnership for curriculum updates

METRICS DASHBOARD SPECIFICATION

Dashboard Structure

Primary Dashboard: “Fawkes Platform Health” Four quadrants for comprehensive view:

Quadrant 1: DORA Metrics (Elite Performer Benchmarks)

Deployment Frequency
- Current: X deployments/day (last 30 days)
- Target: >1 deployment/day (Elite)
- Visualization: Time series line chart with 7-day moving average
- Team-level drill-down capability
Lead Time for Changes
- Current: X hours (median, last 30 days)
- Target: <1 day (Elite)
- Visualization: Histogram showing distribution
- P50, P75, P95 percentiles displayed
Change Failure Rate
- Current: X% (last 30 days)
- Target: <15% (Elite)
- Visualization: Percentage gauge with threshold colors
- Failed deployment correlation with root cause tagging
Time to Restore Service
- Current: X hours (median, last 30 days)
- Target: <1 hour (Elite)
- Visualization: Time series with incident markers
- MTTR trending over 90 days

Quadrant 2: Platform Adoption & Usage

Active Teams: Count of teams with deployments in last 7 days
Active Services: Count of services deployed via Fawkes
Daily Active Developers: Unique users committing code
Template Usage: Breakdown by template type (Java, Python, Node)
Self-Service Success Rate: % of deployments without platform team intervention
Visualization: Combination of stat panels and bar charts

Quadrant 3: Platform Health & Performance

Jenkins Build Queue: Current queue depth and wait time
Kubernetes Cluster Health: Node count, CPU/memory utilization
ArgoCD Sync Status: Applications in sync vs. out-of-sync
Failed Pipelines (Last 24h): Count with links to logs
Security Scan Results: Critical/High vulnerabilities detected
Visualization: Status indicators, gauges, and trend lines

Quadrant 4: Developer Experience & Satisfaction

Average Onboarding Time: Hours from access to first deployment
Build Duration (P95): 95th percentile build time by template
NPS Score: Current score with 30-day trend
Support Ticket Volume: Open issues by category
Documentation Usage: Top 10 most-viewed pages
Visualization: Time series and stat panels with context

Secondary Dashboard: “Team Deep Dive”

Team-Specific View (Filterable by team):

Team’s DORA metrics vs. platform average
Deployment calendar heatmap
Service dependency graph
Recent deployments with status
Failed deployments with root cause
Resource consumption (cost allocation)
Team-specific alerts and notifications

Implementation Recommendations

Technology Stack:

Grafana 10+ as primary visualization tool
Prometheus as data source for metrics
PostgreSQL for DORA metrics storage (supplementary to Prometheus)
Grafana Loki for log correlation in dashboards
Grafana Alerting for threshold-based notifications

Dashboard Features:

Variables: Team selector, time range, environment filter
Annotations: Deployment markers, incident markers, release markers
Links: Direct links to Jenkins jobs, ArgoCD apps, documentation
Templating: Reusable panels for consistent visualization
Export/Share: JSON dashboard definitions in Git for versioning

Alert Configuration:

High change failure rate (>20% over 24 hours) → Slack notification
MTTR spike (>2x normal) → PagerDuty alert
Critical vulnerabilities detected → Email to security team
Jenkins queue depth >10 for >15 minutes → Platform team notification
Kubernetes node unhealthy → Immediate alert

Metrics Collection Architecture

Git Commits → Webhook → DORA Metrics Service → Prometheus
                                ↓
Jenkins Builds → Webhook → DORA Metrics Service → Prometheus
                                ↓
ArgoCD Deployments → Webhook → DORA Metrics Service → Prometheus
                                ↓
Incident System → Webhook → DORA Metrics Service → Prometheus
                                ↓
                            PostgreSQL (historical data)

DORA Metrics Service:

Lightweight Go or Python microservice
Receives webhooks from multiple sources
Calculates derived metrics (lead time, MTTR)
Exposes Prometheus metrics endpoint
Stores historical data in PostgreSQL for long-term trending
Provides REST API for custom queries

Webhook Endpoints:

/webhook/commit - Git commit events
/webhook/build - Jenkins build completion
/webhook/deployment - ArgoCD sync events
/webhook/incident - Incident creation/resolution

Dashboard Access & Permissions

Role-Based Access:

Platform Team: Full access to all dashboards, edit permissions
Team Leads: View all dashboards, edit team-specific views
Developers: View team-specific dashboards only
Executives: View executive summary dashboard (high-level metrics)
Public: Anonymous access to “Fawkes Community Metrics” (sanitized)

Success Metrics for Dashboard

Adoption: 80%+ of teams viewing dashboards weekly
Actionability: 50%+ of improvement initiatives originate from dashboard insights
Performance: Dashboard load time <2 seconds
Reliability: 99.9% uptime for metrics collection
Freshness: Real-time metrics (<1 minute lag)

RISK REGISTER

Risk Category	Specific Risk	Likelihood	Impact	Mitigation Strategy	Owner
Technical - Integration	Tool integration complexity delays MVP by 4+ weeks	HIGH	HIGH	Start with minimal integrations; use well-documented tools (Backstage, ArgoCD); allocate 20% buffer time; have alternative tools identified	Platform Architect
Technical - Scalability	Platform cannot handle >5 teams or 50+ services	MEDIUM	HIGH	Design for scalability from day 1; use Kubernetes Horizontal Pod Autoscaling; conduct load testing at 2x expected capacity; document scaling procedures	Platform Engineer
Technical - Security	Critical vulnerability discovered in platform components	MEDIUM	HIGH	Implement automated security scanning in CI; subscribe to security advisories for all tools; establish security incident response process; conduct quarterly penetration testing	Security Lead
Technical - Multi-Cloud	AWS-only implementation limits enterprise adoption	MEDIUM	MEDIUM	Document multi-cloud roadmap clearly; use Crossplane abstractions early; partner with Azure/GCP users for validation; prioritize cloud-agnostic patterns	Platform Architect
Technical - Data Loss	Metrics or configuration data lost due to storage failure	LOW	HIGH	Implement automated backups (daily); use persistent volumes with replication; GitOps for all configuration; document disaster recovery procedures	DevOps Engineer
Community - Contributor Burnout	Core maintainers overwhelmed, slow response to issues/PRs	HIGH	HIGH	Establish maintainer rotation schedule; recruit co-maintainers early (month 2); set realistic response time SLAs (48-72 hours); use GitHub Actions for automated triage	Project Lead
Community - Toxic Behavior	Community members engage in harassment or exclusionary behavior	MEDIUM	HIGH	Enforce Code of Conduct strictly; use moderation tools in Slack/Discord; establish clear reporting process; empower moderators to act quickly; publicize enforcement actions	Community Manager
Community - Low Adoption	Fewer than 10 organizations adopt Fawkes in first 6 months	MEDIUM	HIGH	Invest heavily in documentation and onboarding; create compelling demos; offer implementation support; partner with early adopters; conduct user research to understand barriers	Product Manager
Community - Competing Projects	Similar IDP projects (Backstage forks, commercial tools) reduce interest	HIGH	MEDIUM	Clearly differentiate Fawkes (DORA focus, learning curriculum); collaborate vs. compete where possible; emphasize open-source values; create comparison guides	Project Lead
Community - Fork & Fragmentation	Community forks project due to direction disagreements	LOW	MEDIUM	Transparent governance; community input on major decisions; avoid corporate control; document decision-making rationale (ADRs); foster collaborative culture	Governance Committee
Resource - Funding	Infrastructure costs exceed available budget	MEDIUM	MEDIUM	Leverage cloud credits (AWS Activate, Azure, GCP); seek CNCF sponsorship; optimize resource usage; document cost-efficient deployment patterns; consider cloud provider partnerships	Finance/Operations
Resource - Maintainer Availability	Key maintainers leave or reduce time commitment	MEDIUM	HIGH	Document tribal knowledge; cross-train maintainers; grow maintainer team to 5+ people; establish emeritus maintainer status; create succession plan	Project Lead
Resource - Infrastructure	Demo/test environments become unavailable during critical periods	MEDIUM	MEDIUM	Use GitOps for easy rebuild; automate environment provisioning; maintain multiple environments (dev, staging, demo); document recovery procedures	DevOps Engineer
Market - Technology Shifts	Major technology changes (e.g., Kubernetes alternatives) reduce relevance	LOW	HIGH	Monitor technology trends; maintain flexible architecture; participate in CNCF working groups; plan for abstraction layers; conduct quarterly technology reviews	Technical Advisory Board
Market - Enterprise Hesitation	Enterprises reluctant to adopt due to lack of support/warranty	HIGH	MEDIUM	Create professional services ecosystem; partner with consulting firms; offer paid support options; provide enterprise features (SSO, audit logs); case study development	Business Development
Market - Certification Devaluation	Platform Engineering certifications lose credibility or relevance	LOW	MEDIUM	Maintain standalone value proposition; avoid over-dependence on single partnership; diversify partnerships with other training providers; focus on intrinsic platform value	Marketing Lead
Legal - Licensing	License disputes or contributor agreement issues	LOW	HIGH	Use standard MIT license; require DCO (Developer Certificate of Origin) for all contributions; legal review of dependencies; maintain license compliance tooling	Legal Advisor
Legal - Trademark	”Fawkes” name creates trademark conflict	LOW	MEDIUM	Conduct trademark search; file trademark application; have alternative names ready; document name origin and fair use justification	Legal Advisor
Operational - Documentation Drift	Documentation becomes outdated as platform evolves	HIGH	MEDIUM	Automate documentation testing; include doc updates in PR requirements; assign documentation owners; conduct quarterly doc review; use version-specific docs	Documentation Lead
Operational - Breaking Changes	Platform upgrades break existing deployments	MEDIUM	HIGH	Semantic versioning; deprecation policy (6-month notice); automated upgrade testing; migration guides; LTS release track for conservative users	Release Manager

Risk Mitigation Priorities (First 30 Days)

P0 - Immediate Action Required:

Establish Code of Conduct and moderation processes
Set up automated backups and disaster recovery
Create maintainer rotation schedule
Document escalation procedures for security incidents

P1 - First Sprint: 5. Implement automated security scanning 6. Create alternative tool evaluation matrix 7. Establish response time SLAs and triage automation 8. Begin recruiting co-maintainers

P2 - First Month: 9. Conduct load testing and scalability analysis 10. Create enterprise feature roadmap 11. File trademark application 12. Establish partnerships with cloud providers for credits

APPENDICES

A. Recommended Reading & Reference Architectures

Books:

Accelerate by Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, Gene Kim (DORA foundation)
Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton, Manuel Pais (platform team structure)
Platform Engineering on Kubernetes by Mauricio Salatino (practical implementation)
The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim et al. (DevOps transformation narrative)

Reference Architectures:

Humanitec Reference Architecture: https://humanitec.com/reference-architecture
Spotify Backstage Architecture: https://backstage.io/docs/overview/architecture-overview
CNCF Cloud Native Trail Map: https://github.com/cncf/trailmap
AWS Well-Architected Framework: https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/well-architected/

Research & Reports:

DORA State of DevOps Reports (annual): https://dora.dev
Platform Engineering Maturity Model: https://platformengineering.org/maturity-model
CNCF Annual Survey: https://www.cncf.io/reports/cncf-annual-survey-2023/

B. Architectural Decision Record (ADR) Template

# ADR-XXX: [Title]
 
## Status
[Proposed | Accepted | Deprecated | Superseded by ADR-XXX]
 
## Context
[Describe the forces at play, including technological, political, social, and project-local. 
These forces are probably in tension, and should be called out as such.]
 
## Decision
[State the architecture decision and provide detailed justification.]
 
## Consequences
### Positive
- [List positive outcomes]
 
### Negative
- [List negative trade-offs or technical debt created]
 
### Neutral
- [List neutral implications]
 
## Alternatives Considered
### Alternative 1: [Name]
- **Pros**: [List advantages]
- **Cons**: [List disadvantages]
- **Reason for rejection**: [Explain]
 
### Alternative 2: [Name]
- **Pros**: [List advantages]
- **Cons**: [List disadvantages]
- **Reason for rejection**: [Explain]
 
## Related Decisions
- ADR-XXX: [Related decision]
 
## Notes
[Any additional context, implementation notes, or future considerations]
 
## Last Updated
[Date and author]

Example ADRs to Create:

ADR-001: Choice of Kubernetes as Container Orchestration Platform
ADR-002: Backstage vs. Port.io vs. Custom Developer Portal
ADR-003: ArgoCD vs. Flux for GitOps
ADR-004: Jenkins vs. GitHub Actions vs. Tekton for CI
ADR-005: Terraform vs. Pulumi vs. Crossplane for IaC
ADR-006: Prometheus vs. Datadog for Metrics

C. Tool Evaluation Matrix

Capability	Tool Option 1	Tool Option 2	Tool Option 3	Evaluation Criteria	Selected Tool	Rationale
Developer Portal	Backstage	Port.io	Cortex	- Open source preference - Plugin ecosystem - Community size - Customization - Learning curve	Backstage	Open source, CNCF project, large community, extensible
GitOps	ArgoCD	Flux	Rancher Fleet	- Kubernetes-native - Multi-cluster support - UI availability - Progressive delivery - Learning resources	ArgoCD	Better UI for demos, strong community, progressive delivery with Argo Rollouts
CI/CD	Jenkins	Tekton	GitHub Actions	- Kubernetes-native - Learning curve - Enterprise adoption - Pipeline complexity - Cost	Jenkins	Familiar to most teams, extensive plugin ecosystem, enterprise-ready
Container Registry	Harbor	AWS ECR	Docker Hub	- Security scanning - RBAC - Replication - Cost - Kubernetes integration	Harbor	Built-in security scanning, strong RBAC, self-hosted option
Secrets Management	Vault	AWS Secrets Manager	External Secrets Operator	- Kubernetes integration - Rotation capabilities - Audit logging - Cost - Complexity	External Secrets Operator	Cloud-agnostic, integrates with multiple backends, lower complexity
Policy Enforcement	OPA/Gatekeeper	Kyverno	jsPolicy	- Learning curve - Policy-as-code maturity - Kubernetes-native - Community support	Kyverno	Easier than OPA for common cases, Kubernetes-native, good documentation
Service Mesh	Istio	Linkerd	Cilium	- Performance overhead - Complexity - Feature completeness - Observability	Linkerd (Post-MVP)	Simpler than Istio, lower overhead, adequate features for MVP
Cost Management	Kubecost	OpenCost	CloudHealth	- Open source preference - Multi-cloud support - Granularity - Integration	OpenCost (Post-MVP)	CNCF project, open source, multi-cloud

D. Community Health Metrics Definitions

Contributor Metrics:

New Contributors (Monthly): Unique individuals making first contribution
Active Contributors (Monthly): Individuals with ≥1 contribution (PR, issue, comment)
Core Contributors: Individuals with ≥5 contributions in last 90 days
Maintainers: Individuals with commit access and release responsibilities
Contributor Retention Rate: % of contributors from Month N who contribute in Month N+3

Code Metrics:

Pull Requests: Total opened, merged, closed monthly
Issues: Total opened, closed, open issue age (P50, P95)
Code Review Cycle Time: Time from PR open to merge (median, P95)
PR Size: Lines of code per PR (prefer smaller PRs)
Test Coverage: % of code covered by automated tests

Community Engagement Metrics:

GitHub Stars Growth: Net new stars per week
Forks: Total repository forks
Watchers: Individuals watching repository for updates
Discussion Activity: Posts, comments, reactions in GitHub Discussions
Community Members: Total members in Slack/Discord
Event Attendance: Attendees for office hours, webinars, meetups
Content Engagement: Blog post views, video views, social media engagement

Support Metrics:

Response Time: Time to first response on issues (target: <24 hours)
Resolution Time: Time from issue open to close (by severity)
Support Channel Activity: Questions asked in Slack/Discord
Documentation Usage: Page views on documentation site

Health Indicators:

Bus Factor: Number of contributors who, if unavailable, would critically impact project
Maintainer Response Rate: % of issues/PRs with maintainer response in 72 hours
Inclusive Language: Audit of welcoming, inclusive communication
Diversity: Geographic, organizational, demographic diversity of contributors

Target Metrics (6 Months):

500+ GitHub stars
25+ active contributors (monthly)
10+ core contributors
3-5 maintainers
<24 hour median response time
75%+ PR merge rate
300+ community members
80%+ positive sentiment in feedback

E. Onboarding Checklist Template

Pre-Contribution Checklist (New Community Member):

Starred the Fawkes repository
Joined Slack/Discord community channel
Introduced yourself inintroductions channel
Read Code of Conduct and agreed to follow it
Reviewed Getting Started guide
Watched “Fawkes Overview” video (15 min)
Attempted to deploy Fawkes locally or in test environment
Identified area of interest (security, docs, frontend, backend, etc.)

First Contribution Checklist:

Regular Contributor Path:

Made 5+ merged contributions
Participated in community call
Reviewed PRs from other contributors
Expressed interest in maintainer path
Joined SIG (Special Interest Group) of choice
Mentored new contributor through first contribution

Maintainer Path:

Made 25+ merged contributions over 3+ months
[] Demonstrated technical expertise in specific area
Consistently provided high-quality code reviews
Participated in architectural discussions and ADR creation
Shown commitment to community health and inclusivity
Nominated by existing maintainer
Approved by maintainer team (vote)
Completed maintainer onboarding (access grants, responsibilities)
Added to MAINTAINERS.md file

F. MVP Launch Checklist

Technical Readiness (Week Before Launch):

Documentation Readiness:

Community Readiness:

Slack/Discord workspace created and configured
GitHub Discussions enabled with initial topics
Community calendar published
Office hours scheduled for launch week
Social media accounts created and branded
Email list or newsletter mechanism set up
Contributor recognition system configured
Moderation team identified and trained

Content Readiness:

Launch blog post written and reviewed
Social media announcement content prepared
Demo video recorded and edited
3-5 technical blog posts scheduled
Email announcement drafted
Hacker News, Reddit posts prepared
Conference/podcast pitches sent
Partnership announcements coordinated

Launch Day Readiness:

Launch day schedule documented with time zones
Team roles assigned (announcements, monitoring, support)
Communication channels tested
Metrics tracking dashboard ready
Incident response plan documented
Celebration plan for team! 🎉

IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP SUMMARY

Critical Path to MVP (8-12 Weeks)

Foundation Phase (Weeks 1-2)

Establish governance, communication, and documentation infrastructure
Set up CI/CD for platform repository
Create comprehensive project documentation

Core Platform Phase (Weeks 3-5)

Deploy Backstage developer portal with software templates
Implement Jenkins CI/CD with golden path pipelines
Establish GitOps with ArgoCD
Integrate SonarQube and security scanning

Observability Phase (Weeks 6-8)

Deploy Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry stack
Implement DORA metrics collection and dashboards
Add Spinnaker for deployment strategies
Conduct integration testing

Launch Phase (Weeks 9-12)

Complete comprehensive documentation
Create dojo curriculum foundation (5 modules)
Conduct beta testing with early adopters
Execute launch week activities

Success Factors

Technical Excellence:

Focus on integration quality over feature quantity
Maintain security as a first-class concern
Prioritize developer experience in every decision
Build for observability from day one

Community Building:

Over-invest in documentation and onboarding
Respond quickly to community questions (24-48 hours)
Celebrate contributions publicly
Create clear paths from user → contributor → maintainer

Strategic Positioning:

Leverage Platform Engineering University certifications
Differentiate through DORA focus and learning curriculum
Build partnerships with complementary tools
Maintain clear, compelling value proposition

Sustainable Growth:

Grow maintainer team early (target: 5+ by month 6)
Establish governance that scales
Balance platform development with community engagement
Plan for financial sustainability (infrastructure, events)

Key Milestones & Metrics

30 Days Post-Launch:

2-3 organizations successfully deploying applications
10+ contributors with merged PRs
200+ GitHub stars
100+ community members
Documentation 90%+ complete

90 Days Post-Launch:

5-10 organizations in production
20+ active contributors
500+ GitHub stars
300+ community members
First case study published
Conference talk accepted

6 Months Post-Launch:

15-25 organizations in production
50+ total contributors
1000+ GitHub stars
500+ community members
CNCF Sandbox project (potential)
Dojo curriculum complete (10+ modules)
Multi-cloud support (Azure, GCP)

Investment Requirements

Time Investment (Person-Days):

Phase 0 (Foundation): 10 person-days
Phase 1 (Core Platform): 30 person-days
Phase 2 (Observability): 25 person-days
Phase 3 (Documentation/Community): 20 person-days
Phase 4 (Launch): 10 person-days
Total: ~95 person-days (~3-4 months with 2-3 contributors)

Infrastructure Costs (Monthly, Estimated):

AWS EKS Cluster (3 nodes): $200-300
Load Balancers, Storage: $100-150
Container Registry (Harbor): $50-75
Demo/Test Environments: $150-200
CI/CD Infrastructure: $100-150
Total: ~$600-875/month

Cost Mitigation:

Apply for AWS Activate credits ( $5, 000 -$ 10,000)
CNCF infrastructure support (if accepted to Sandbox)
Community contributions reduce personnel costs
Start with minimal infrastructure, scale as needed

Risk-Adjusted Timeline

Optimistic Scenario (8 weeks):

Experienced team (3+ platform engineers)
Minimal integration issues
Pre-existing relationships with early adopters
Clear decision-making authority

Realistic Scenario (10-12 weeks):

Mixed experience levels
Some integration challenges requiring troubleshooting
Community building requires more effort than anticipated
Documentation takes longer than expected

Pessimistic Scenario (16-20 weeks):

Significant technical blockers (cloud provider issues, tool incompatibilities)
Key contributors become unavailable
Major pivots required based on early feedback
Security vulnerabilities requiring remediation

Recommendation: Plan for 12-week timeline with 4-week buffer for unexpected challenges.

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS

Priority 1: Developer Experience First

The single most important factor for Fawkes’ success is exceptional developer experience. Every technical decision should be evaluated through this lens:

Can a developer go from zero to deployed application in <4 hours?
Is the documentation clear enough that developers rarely need support?
Do golden paths reduce cognitive load and decision fatigue?
Are feedback loops fast enough to maintain flow state?

Action: Conduct user testing with developers unfamiliar with platform engineering before launch. Identify friction points and address them ruthlessly.

Priority 2: DORA Metrics as Differentiator

Many IDPs exist, but few make DORA metrics a first-class citizen. This is Fawkes’ opportunity to differentiate:

Automate all four key metrics from day one
Make metrics visible and actionable for teams
Create content showing DORA improvement stories
Position Fawkes as “the IDP that proves its value with data”

Action: Create “DORA Metrics in a Box” - a standalone component that can be adopted even without full Fawkes deployment. This creates an entry point for hesitant adopters.

Priority 3: Community Over Features

In the early stages, community health is more valuable than feature completeness:

A smaller feature set with 50 engaged contributors beats
A comprehensive platform with 5 contributors who are burning out

Action: Dedicate 40% of maintainer time to community engagement (documentation, mentoring, content creation) versus 60% on feature development.

Priority 4: Certification Integration as Growth Engine

The Platform Engineering University partnership is a strategic advantage:

Students completing certifications need practical experience
Fawkes provides that experience in a production-quality environment
This creates a pipeline of skilled, motivated contributors

Action: Prioritize the dojo curriculum and certification alignment over secondary features. Make Fawkes the “obvious next step” after completing PEU certifications.

Priority 5: Start with AWS, Plan for Multi-Cloud

While multi-cloud is important for enterprise adoption, premature abstraction can slow MVP:

AWS provides sufficient validation for MVP
Document the multi-cloud strategy clearly
Use Terraform modules to prepare for Crossplane transition
Partner with Azure/GCP users for future validation

Action: Create multi-cloud architecture document showing the roadmap, even if implementation is 6+ months out. This addresses enterprise concerns without delaying MVP.

Priority 6: Security as Marketing

In today’s threat landscape, security is a competitive advantage:

Comprehensive security scanning
Clear zero-trust roadmap
Security-first documentation
Transparent vulnerability disclosure

Action: Create “Fawkes Security Scorecard” showing security posture (scan coverage, SBOM generation, CVE response time). Publish monthly security reports to build trust.

Priority 7: Measure Everything

What gets measured gets improved:

Platform metrics (DORA)
Community health (contributors, PRs, response times)
User satisfaction (NPS, feedback surveys)
Business impact (cost reduction, velocity improvement)

Action: Implement comprehensive telemetry from day one. Create public dashboards (where appropriate) to demonstrate transparency and progress.

NEXT STEPS (Immediate Actions)

Week 1 Actions:

Monday:

Create GitHub repository structure (if not exists): /docs, /infra, /platform, /dojo
Set up basic CI/CD for repository (GitHub Actions)
Draft and publish GOVERNANCE.md
Create initial project charter document

Tuesday: 5. Set up Slack/Discord workspace and invite founding team 6. Create GitHub issue templates and labels 7. Schedule first maintainer meeting 8. Begin drafting architecture documentation

Wednesday: 9. Create ADR for key technology choices (Backstage, ArgoCD, Jenkins) 10. Document current state vs. target state architecture 11. Set up project tracking (GitHub Projects or similar) 12. Create first sprint backlog (2 weeks)

Thursday: 13. Begin Backstage deployment in test environment 14. Create first software template (adapt existing Java template) 15. Draft Getting Started guide outline 16. Reach out to Platform Engineering University for partnership discussion

Friday: 17. Team retrospective on Week 1 18. Publish first “This Week in Fawkes” update 19. Share early progress on social media 20. Plan Week 2 sprint

Key Decisions Needed (Week 1):

Decision: ArgoCD vs. Flux for GitOps implementation
Decision: Spinnaker vs. Argo Rollouts for progressive delivery
Decision: Self-hosted Harbor vs. AWS ECR for container registry
Decision: Slack vs. Discord for community chat
Decision: Docusaurus vs. GitBook for documentation site
Decision: DORA metrics collection architecture (Go vs. Python microservice)

Resource Allocation (First Sprint):

Technical Implementation (60%):

Backstage deployment and configuration
Initial software templates
Infrastructure automation refinement
CI/CD setup for platform repository

Documentation (25%):

Architecture documentation
ADRs for key decisions
Getting Started guide enhancement
Contributor guide creation

Community Building (15%):

Communication infrastructure setup
Partnership outreach (Platform Engineering University)
Content planning for launch
Early adopter identification

CONCLUSION

Fawkes has the potential to become the reference implementation for DORA-driven Internal Delivery Platforms. The combination of open-source values, comprehensive tooling, learning curriculum, and certification alignment creates a unique value proposition in the platform engineering landscape.

Success Hinges On:

Relentless focus on developer experience - If developers don’t love using Fawkes, adoption will stall
Community-first mindset - Features can wait; community health cannot
DORA metrics as proof - Let data tell the story of Fawkes’ value
Certification leverage - Platform Engineering University partnership is a strategic advantage
Sustainable pace - Marathon, not sprint; plan for long-term maintainability

The MVP Vision:

“A platform engineer completes the Platform Engineering University Observability certification on Friday. On Monday, they deploy Fawkes, implement the concepts they learned, and see DORA metrics flowing within 8 hours. By Wednesday, their team has deployed their first application with full CI/CD. By Friday, they’re contributing documentation improvements back to Fawkes.”

This is achievable with the 12-week roadmap outlined above, assuming disciplined execution and strategic focus on the critical path.

Your Immediate Next Step:

Conduct a “Go/No-Go” decision meeting with key stakeholders:

Review this implementation plan
Confirm resource availability (time, infrastructure budget)
Identify any blocking concerns
Make formal commitment to 12-week MVP timeline
Assign roles and responsibilities
Set first sprint goals

Then execute Week 1 actions and begin the journey to creating an exceptional Internal Delivery Platform that advances the state of platform engineering practice.

This implementation strategy positions Fawkes for rapid MVP delivery, strong community growth, and long-term sustainability as a leading open-source Internal Delivery Platform.

🪴 PAR Digital Garden

Explorer

Fawkes MVP implementation plan