The document discusses The Apache Way, which are the governance principles and guiding tenets for how Apache Project Management Committees (PMCs) operate. It focuses on why understanding the origins and reasons behind The Apache Way is important. The Apache Way was developed to optimize for volunteer contributors, focus on community over code, and encourage long-term sustainable open source projects and software. Some key aspects of The Apache Way discussed are meritocracy, peer-based communities, consensus decision making, transparency, and collaborative development.