🧭 Understanding the GSoC Process

1. Organizations Apply: Tech organizations (like CNCF, TensorFlow, or Rocket.Chat) propose projects to Google.
2. Google Selects Organizations: Based on relevance and alignment with tech trends.
3. Contributors Apply: Once organizations are announced (around February-March), contributors submit proposals for specific projects.
4. Proposal Review: Organizations review and rank proposals internally.
5. Slot Allocation: Google gives each organization a limited number of paid positions (slots).
6. Final Selection: Only the top-ranked proposals — limited by slots — are selected.

⏰ Typical Timeline: Applications open in February, proposal submission closes by April, and final results are out by May.

🧩 The Slot System (The Real Game)

• Slots = Paid Positions Google allocates to each org.
• Even if an org lists 10 project ideas, it might only get 4 slots.
• Google gives more slots to orgs in trending tech areas like AI/ML or Cloud Native.
• Your goal is not just to be the best for your project — you must rank high across all proposals in the org.

Example: You wrote the best proposal for Project #7, but if Projects #1–#4 are ranked higher and the org only has 4 slots, you lose. You need to be top-tier overall.

⚖️ The 50/50 Rule for GSoC Success

Success in GSoC =

• 50% Choosing the Right Org & Project
• 50% Writing a Winning Proposal