1. Training Our Team in
the Apache Way
Alan Gates
Co-Founder
Hortonworks
@alanfgates

2. © Hortonworks Inc. 2011 – 2016. All Rights Reserved
Hortonworks Contributes to a Few Apache Projects

3. © Hortonworks Inc. 2011 – 2016. All Rights Reserved
Houston, we have a problem
 In 5 years went from a company of 25 to > 1000
– engineering grew from 22 to ~300
 Original engineers and corporate leaders understood the Apache way
 Depended on osmosis to train new team members
 What works in a company of 25 does not work in a company of 1000+
 Apache has ways to train new community members and new communities
– e.g. the Incubator
 We realized that we were not getting knowledge out quickly enough to new team
members
– Particularly those not directly contributing to Apache (managers, marketing, ...)
– Even some of our engineering teams were growing so quickly they were struggling to pass on the
Apache culture effectively

4. © Hortonworks Inc. 2011 – 2016. All Rights Reserved
I have a cunning plan
 It was time to become more formal in our training
 Developed curriculum for a one hour training session on Apache
 Working on an FAQ so everyone will know where to go when they have questions
 Working extensively with marketing, PR, and conferences teams to review their material
 Initial focus on teams in engineering
– developers, doc writers, QE, UI/UX designers, product and project managers
– will role out to customer facing groups (sales, marketing, support) as well

5. © Hortonworks Inc. 2011 – 2016. All Rights Reserved
Let me explain. No there is too much, let me sum up.
 Apache and the Apache Way
 Apache License
 Why we choose to work with Apache
 How to handle being both a Hortonworker and a part of Apache
 Best practices and things to avoid
 Trademarks
Training includes:

6. © Hortonworks Inc. 2011 – 2016. All Rights Reserved
It’s worked so far, but we’re not out yet
 Beta tested on engineering managers
 Have started running all of engineering through it
 Working on making it a standard part of our new hire training
 Have received positive feedback from initial attendees
 Happy to share my experiences and materials with others

7. Thank You