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Contribution Guide for MOMENTUM

Welcome to the MOMENTUM community! We're excited you're interested in contributing to shaping the future of product management. This guide outlines how you can help, what to contribute, and the expected process.

Our Vision for Contributions

MOMENTUM aims to be an adaptable and evolving framework. We distinguish between highly stable core principles and rapidly evolving practical elements.

  • Manifesto & Core Principles: These represent the foundation of MOMENTUM and are highly stable. Changes here will be rare, require extensive discussion, and are moderated by a core team.
  • Documentation, Templates, Scripts, Prompts, Tool Integrations: These are the practical, adaptable layers of MOMENTUM. We actively encourage community contributions and expect frequent updates and innovations in these areas.

Getting Started

  1. Understand the Core: Familiarize yourself with the Manifesto, Core Principles, and Workflows.
  2. Set Up Your Environment: Ensure you have Git, an IDE with LLM integration, and a coding agent (see Getting Started for details).
  3. Find an Area to Contribute: Look through the sections below to see where your skills and interests align.
  4. Fork the Repository: Start by forking the main MOMENTUM repository to your GitHub account.
  5. Create a New Branch: Always create a new branch for your changes (e.g., feat/add-new-template, fix/docs-typo).
  6. Make Your Changes: Implement your contribution.
  7. Test Your Changes: If applicable (e.g., scripts, new prompts), ensure your contribution works as expected.
  8. Submit a Pull Request (PR):
    • Target the main branch of the MOMENTUM repository.
    • Provide a clear, concise description of your changes and why they are valuable.
    • Reference any relevant issues.
    • Be open to feedback and iteration during the review process.

Areas to Contribute

1. Documentation (docs/, README.md, etc.)

High-quality, clear, and consistent documentation is crucial for adoption.

  • What to contribute: Typos, grammatical errors, clarity improvements, expanded explanations, new how-to guides, improved examples.
  • Review Process: Standard PR review. Focus on clarity, accuracy, and adherence to the Writing Style Guidelines.

2. Templates (.llm/templates/, prompts/)

Templates and prompts are the backbone of AI-assisted workflows in MOMENTUM.

  • What to contribute:
    • New epic.md, story.md variations or specialized templates.
    • New prompts for common PM tasks (e.g., discovery intake, competitor analysis, sprint planning assistance).
    • Improvements to existing templates or prompts for better LLM output.
  • Review Process: Requires review for conceptual alignment with MOMENTUM principles, effectiveness with LLMs, clarity, and consistency.

3. Scripts (scripts/)

Utility scripts automate setup, updates, and analysis tasks.

  • What to contribute:
    • Improvements to init-base.sh or update-framework.sh.
    • New scripts for common tasks (e.g., generating status reports from metadata, archiving old artifacts).
    • Cross-platform compatibility enhancements.
  • Review Process: Requires code review for functionality, security, maintainability, and clear documentation within the script itself.

4. Tool Integrations

MOMENTUM aims to integrate with existing PM tools to streamline workflows.

  • What to contribute:
    • Scripts or configurations to sync MOMENTUM artifacts with tools like Jira, Asana, Trello.
    • Webhooks, APIs, or AI agents that bridge MOMENTUM repositories with external platforms.
  • Review Process: Requires review for functionality, security, maintainability, and alignment with MOMENTUM's principles of Git-centric strategy management.

Writing Style Guidelines

To maintain consistency and readability across all documentation:

  • Concise & Direct: Get straight to the point.
  • Structured: Use headings, bullet points, and code blocks where appropriate.
  • Neutral Tone: Avoid overly informal language or excessive marketing hype.
  • Markdown First: All documentation should be in GitHub Flavored Markdown.
  • Avoid Jargon: Explain technical or PM-specific jargon when first introduced.
  • Link Heavily: Reference other relevant MOMENTUM documents where appropriate.

Core Team & Governance

The MOMENTUM core team is responsible for:

  • Stewarding the Manifesto and Core Principles.
  • Setting the strategic direction for the framework's evolution.
  • Reviewing and merging contributions.
  • Maintaining the stability and integrity of the core repository.

Thank you for your interest in contributing to MOMENTUM! Your efforts help make this framework better for everyone.