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Collective Onboarding

This is a decision record and qualification document for OpsDev.nz as a collective under StartMeUp.NZ. It also serves as a reference for anyone else considering forming a collective under the SMUNZ fiscal host.

What SMUNZ looks for

A collective joining SMUNZ should demonstrate:

  • Aotearoa New Zealand focus. A .nz domain helps, but the real test is whether the work serves the NZ ecosystem, founders, or public interest. NZ must be a primary audience, even if the work has global reach.

  • A clear idea and a customer base. You don't need to be a 50-person startup. A solo founder with a concept, a target audience, and a plan is enough. AI agents count as part of the team if that's how you operate.

  • A product or service for the NZ market. Something people here need. If it works elsewhere too, that's fine, but the NZ focus has to be real.

  • Community benefit. SMUNZ collectives should lift the wider ecosystem, not just their own balance sheet. Events, open source tooling, education, and infrastructure all count.

How OpsDev.nz qualifies

NZ focus

OpsDev.nz operates on opsdev.nz. We serve NZ-based collectives under SMUNZ, build tooling for NZ founders, and organise NZ community events. NZ is our home market and our primary audience.

Team

The current team is our founder, John Billings, supported by AI agents and community collaborators. We're lean by design; SMUNZ considers solo-plus-AI a valid operating model.

Product and customer base

We build and maintain Python modules — oc-opsdevnz, op-opsdevnz, octodns-metaname, worklog-opsdevnz — published on PyPI and used by collectives under SMUNZ. Our customers are NZ-based founders, open source projects, and early-stage ventures who need operational infrastructure without hiring a dedicated ops team.

Community benefit

We're bringing back tech events that haven't had organisers in recent years: DevOpsDays Wellington (last held 2019) and Software Freedom Day Wellington. We're good at logistics, less so at marketing and comms, but we'll do our best and distribute some cookies. The goal with each event is to establish it, then either spin it out as its own collective under SMUNZ or hand it to others who want to run it in future years.

We also believe it's a good time to support open source software. It's a practical way for people — young and old — to demonstrate skills, gain experience, and develop software in the public interest. Open source tooling is safer than closed, proprietary alternatives in this day and age. We want to see people build products and services around these tools, and we're here to help support and facilitate that.

Using this as a template

If you're thinking of forming a collective under SMUNZ, here's what you'll need to address:

  1. Domain and identity. A .nz domain (or equivalent) and a name that reflects your focus.
  2. Team size. Solo, duo, a few volunteers — size doesn't matter. Tell SMUNZ who's involved and how you'll operate.
  3. Idea and audience. What are you building, and who is it for? Be specific about the NZ audience.
  4. Community angle. How does your work benefit the wider NZ ecosystem beyond your direct customers?
  5. Plan for sustainability. How will you fund it? Donations, sponsorship, platform fees, contracting — pick at least one and show your working.

Reach out through the SMUNZ website to start the conversation.