Add Follow the Sun Development pattern

README.md

@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ Our mission
 * [Circle Communities](/patterns/1-initial/circle-communities.md) - *InnerSource adoption is slow in organizations due to limited understanding, engagement, and contextual relevance. Circle Communities address this by fostering synchronous conversations that build connections, close knowledge gaps, and cultivate collaboration and continuous learning.*
 * [Internal Developer Platform](/patterns/1-initial/internal-developer-platform.md) - *As InnerSource adoption increases throughout an organisation, it is not unusual that project teams start to face inefficiencies in scaling their efforts due to fragmented tooling, environments, and workflows. An Internal Developer Platform (IDP) provides a way to tackle this type of challenges through a centralized, self-service system that standardizes development environments and integrates tools to enhance consistency, collaboration, and developer productivity.*
 * [Document Architecture Decisions](/patterns/1-initial/document-architecture-decisions.md) - *InnerSource contributors often face challenges in grasping the system's design rationale, which can result in misalignment between maintainers, contributors, and stakeholders — potentially discouraging participation. To enhance decision-making and transparency, we recommend capturing architecture decisions and their consequences in a lightweight, accessible format to streamline onboarding, clarify decisions, and support long-term project sustainability.*
+* [Follow the Sun Development](patterns/1-initial/follow-the-sun-development.md) - *InnerSource projects with contributors across multiple timezones struggle with delayed feedback cycles, duplicated work, and contributor frustration from timezone barriers. By implementing "Follow the Sun" development practices with structured handoff protocols, comprehensive async documentation, and timezone-aware tooling, projects can maintain continuous momentum and inclusive global collaboration.*
 * [InnerSource Incentives and Disincentives](/patterns/1-initial/incentives-and-disincentives.md) - *Lack of awareness for incentives as well well as disincentives for InnerSource contribution decrease the chances of an InnerSource project receiving contributions; this is addressed by sharing a comprehensive list of potential incentives and disincentives.*
 * [Walk the InnerSource talk](/patterns/1-initial/walk-the-innersource-talk.md) - *Teams across the organization are encouraged to adopt InnerSource principles such as working openly, sharing code, and collaborating transparently. But, if the team behind the InnerSource initiative doesn’t follow these practices themselves, it undermines credibility and adoption. Therefore, this team should lead by example: documenting their decisions as code, working in the open, and treating their work as an InnerSource project to build trust and show others how it’s done.*
 * [Require InnerSource before Open Source](/patterns/1-initial/innersource-before-open-source.md) - *Maintaining and managing open source projects can be challenging for organizations, due to a lack of internal infrastructure and people with the knowledge of the required collaboration practices. By requiring projects to be InnerSource before becoming open source, teams have time to establish the necessary internal support, governance, and collaboration skills needed for successful community engagement.*

patterns/1-initial/follow-the-sun-development.md

@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+## Title
+
+Follow the Sun Development
+
+## Patlet
+
+InnerSource projects with contributors across multiple timezones struggle with delayed feedback cycles, duplicated work, and contributor frustration from timezone barriers. By implementing "Follow the Sun" development practices with structured handoff protocols, comprehensive async documentation, and timezone-aware tooling, projects can maintain continuous momentum and inclusive global collaboration.
+
+## Problem
+
+InnerSource projects that span multiple timezones face significant collaboration challenges that reduce contribution velocity and contributor satisfaction. Contributors in different timezones experience long wait times for reviews, feedback, and guidance, leading to decreased engagement and project momentum.
+
+## Story
+
+A global technology company launched an InnerSource platform project with potential contributors from their offices in San Francisco, London, and Singapore. Initially, the project maintainers (based in San Francisco) would review contributions during their working hours, leaving contributors in other timezones waiting 12-16 hours for basic feedback. European contributors would submit pull requests before their weekend, only to find conflicts and questions on Monday morning that had been resolved by the US team during the weekend. Singapore-based developers felt excluded from architectural decisions that happened during US-Europe overlapping hours. After six months, 70% of contributions came from US timezones despite global talent availability.
+
+## Context
+
+- An InnerSource project has potential contributors across multiple timezones (3+ timezones spanning more than 12 hours)
+- The project receives regular contributions and requires frequent collaboration between maintainers and contributors
+- Traditional synchronous collaboration methods (meetings, real-time code reviews) create bottlenecks
+- Contributors in non-primary timezones report feeling excluded or delayed in their contribution efforts
+- The organization values global collaboration and wants to leverage distributed talent
+
+## Forces
+
+- **Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Balance**: Real-time collaboration provides immediate feedback and builds relationships, but creates timezone barriers. Pure async communication can lack nuance and slow decision-making.
+- **Documentation Overhead vs. Efficiency**: Comprehensive async documentation takes time to create and maintain, but is essential for timezone handoffs and onboarding.
+- **Local Autonomy vs. Global Consistency**: Giving timezone-specific teams decision-making authority improves speed, but can lead to inconsistent approaches across regions.
+- **Inclusive Participation vs. Decision Speed**: Ensuring all timezones can contribute to important decisions takes longer but builds stronger global community.
+- **Tooling Investment vs. Simplicity**: Timezone-aware tools and automation require upfront investment but significantly improve collaboration efficiency.
+
+## Solutions
+
+Implement a "Follow the Sun" development model that enables continuous project momentum through structured timezone handoffs:
+
+### Core Practices
+
+1. **Structured Handoff Protocol**
+   - Create timezone-specific "shift notes" in project wikis or shared documents
+   - Use standardized handoff templates that include: work completed, blockers encountered, decisions pending, and next priorities
+   - Establish clear handoff times (e.g., end of each region's working day)
+   - Designate timezone champions who coordinate handoffs and ensure continuity
+
+2. **Async-First Documentation Standards**
+   - All architectural decisions documented with context using [Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)](./document-architecture-decisions.md)
+   - Code review comments include sufficient context for async response
+   - Meeting recordings and transcripts published within 24 hours
+   - Decision rationale captured in issue trackers, not just decisions themselves
+
+3. **Timezone-Aware Processes**
+   - Stagger regular project meetings across different timezone combinations
+   - Use asynchronous RFC processes for major decisions with minimum 72-hour comment periods
+   - Implement "follow-up reviews" where contributors from other timezones can add input after initial reviews
+   - Create timezone-specific office hours for informal collaboration
+
+4. **Global Maintainer Model**
+   - Distribute [Trusted Committer](../2-structured/trusted-committer.md) roles across key timezones
+   - Cross-train maintainers to avoid single points of failure in any timezone
+   - Rotate "primary contact" responsibilities across timezones for different project areas
+
+### Supporting Tools and Automation
+
+- Configure CI/CD pipelines for all timezones with appropriate notification settings
+- Use project dashboards that show current "active timezone" and relevant contacts
+- Implement chatbots or automation that can provide basic project information 24/7
+- Set up timezone-aware notification systems that respect local working hours
+
+## Resulting Context
+
+When successfully implemented, Follow the Sun development creates:
+
+- **Continuous Project Momentum**: Work progresses around the clock as contributors in different timezones pick up where others left off
+- **Increased Global Participation**: Contributors from all timezones feel valued and able to meaningfully participate
+- **Improved Documentation Culture**: The necessity of async handoffs raises overall project documentation quality
+- **Reduced Time-to-Market**: 24-hour development cycles can accelerate feature delivery
+- **Enhanced Knowledge Distribution**: Cross-timezone collaboration spreads expertise across the global team
+
+However, this approach also introduces new challenges:
+
+- Higher coordination overhead and process complexity
+- Increased documentation maintenance burden  
+- Potential for miscommunication in handoffs
+- Need for greater discipline in async communication practices
+
+These challenges may lead to related patterns like "Timezone-Aware Project Governance" or "Cross-Cultural InnerSource Communication."
+
+## Known Instances
+
+*This is a gap we've identified - we need real-world validation. Consider organizations like Microsoft, IBM, SAP, or other global companies that likely face this challenge.*
+
+**Potential validation areas to research:**
+
+- Global open source projects (Kubernetes, React, etc.) that could provide analogous examples
+- Enterprise software companies with global development teams
+- Organizations that have documented "follow the sun" practices in traditional development
+
+## Status
+
+- Initial
+
+## Author(s)
+
+- Abdul Jaleel Kavungal
+
+## Acknowledgments
+
+- InnerSource Commons Pattern Working Group
+- Global development teams who face these challenges daily
+
+## Alias
+
+- 24/7 InnerSource Development
+- Continuous Global Collaboration  
+- Timezone-Spanning Development
+- Round-the-Clock InnerSource