Hi, I am Boris, and I am active in the TYPO3 community for more than 20 years now. I think the first sprint I attended was the relaunch of the old typo3.org website. Since then, I’ve been working in various teams like the Editorial Team, Marketing Team and about 10+ years now in the TYPO3 Education Committee.
Hey TYPO3 community - feel free to ask me (almost) anything 
Boris, I would be interested in your view on a governance question that seems highly relevant before this election.
There seem to be considerations around structural or governance changes that could significantly influence the balance between leadership, accountability, and volunteer autonomy in TYPO3.
As the next Board will be elected for a three-year term, I believe members should not only evaluate people, but also the governance direction those people may end up working within.
In your opinion, should such a model, if it exists or is currently being developed, be made public before the election?
And where do you personally stand on more hierarchical leadership models in a volunteer-driven open source project?
Hello Boris,
Serving on the TYPO3 Association Board requires a considerable and ongoing volunteer commitment.
Based on my experience, the role typically requires around 8 hours per week on average, plus occasional travel for QSA meetings and other community events. As the position is voluntary and not financially compensated, this time investment is an important factor.
You have already served in the Board and therefore demonstrated that you were able to dedicate the necessary time.
How will you ensure that you can continue to dedicate the time required for the role in the coming term?
Hey Jo,
thank you for your questions.
In my opinion, any governance model or structural direction that could significantly impact TYPO3 should be made transparent to TYPO3 Association members as early as possible. Transparency enables informed decisions and builds trust. Ideally, such proposals should also allow for community feedback and iteration before being finalized.
More generally, I strongly believe in true open source as a space where people can voluntarily contribute and shape the project. That belief also motivated me to recently start the petition to get open-source work recognized as volunteering for the common good.
Regarding hierarchical leadership models, I don’t think there is a one-size-fits-all solution. Different teams and organizations require different structures. Some may benefit from clearer hierarchies, while others thrive in more decentralized or cell-based setups.
What matters most, in my view, is that TYPO3 finds the model that works best for its ecosystem and community. This requires openness to reflection: identifying what works, addressing what doesn’t, and being willing to adapt. We should be pragmatic, transparent, and flexible enough to evolve where needed.
Ultimately, I see governance not as something fixed, but as something that should continuously develop - always in service of the community and the long-term success of TYPO3.
Hi Ingo,
as you already mentioned, I’m very familiar with the working mode and expectations from my time on the T3A Board over the past years.
You may also have noticed that I’ve introduced open “TYPO3 Association Consulting Hours”, where anyone from the community (or beyond) can book a slot with me (almost) every Friday and bring up topics related to TYPO3. For me, this is an important way to stay accessible and connected.
From my experience, the average of ~8 hours per week is a reasonable estimate over the course of a year. In practice, however, the workload comes in waves: there are periods where 2-4 days per week are required, and others that are significantly quieter.
I’m in the fortunate position of having a high degree of control over my schedule, which allows me to adapt to these needs and dedicate the time when it’s needed most.
Looking at my actual time investment (coming from Jira - now in YouTrack), I tracked around 305,5 hours contributing to TYPO3-related activities over the past year (excluding full-day commitments such as QSA, meetings, camps, or events like University Days). I think this shows both my availability and my ongoing commitment.
Based on this experience and setup, I’m confident that I can continue to dedicate the necessary time and energy to the role.
Best regards,
Boris