📅 March 25, 2025 – 20-Day Drafting Marathon

With my GSoC project idea finalized, I entered what was arguably the most intense phase of my journey—writing the actual GSoC proposal.

Between March 5 and March 25, 2025, I committed 20 focused days to building a proposal that wasn’t just technically sound—but also clear, realistic, and deeply aligned with the goals of Scala Center.

🧱 Building the Foundation

I began by thoroughly reading Google’s official GSoC guidelines, checking past accepted proposals from Scala Center, and studying successful formats.

My proposal had to do more than list features. It had to answer:

• ❓ What exactly will I build?

• ⏳ Can I complete it in 12 weeks?

• 🤝 How will I collaborate with the community?

• 🔁 What’s the fallback if something fails?

📐 Structuring the Proposal

Here’s what I included in my draft:

1. Abstract & Benefits to the Community

2. Deliverables – clearly divided into 3 phases

3. Technical Approach – with architecture diagrams

4. Timeline – week-by-week goals

5. Experience & Contributions

6. Post-GSoC Roadmap

7. Communication & Reporting Plan

Each section was carefully reviewed, edited, and rewritten—sometimes from scratch.

🧠 Continuous Feedback Loop

I stayed connected with my mentor Kannupriya Karla, who generously gave input on scope and approach. The Scala community was equally supportive, answering questions and helping me polish specific technical sections.

💬 “Drafting a GSoC proposal isn’t about writing fast—it’s about writing with focus.”

🧰 Tools I Used

📝 Google Docs – writing + comments
🧱 Draw.io – architecture diagrams
✅ GitHub – hosting supporting documents
📆 Notion – daily proposal task tracker

💡 Final Thoughts

If you’re drafting your proposal now, here’s my advice:

✨ Don’t rush it.
📚 Study other proposals.
🛠️ Build a prototype if possible.
👥 Stay connected with the org.

The 20 days I spent here weren’t just about getting selected. They made me a better thinker, planner, and open-source contributor.