Trouble in paradise: the open source project PyPy, EU-funding and agile practices

PyPy is an open source project, partly funded by the European Union, employing agile techniques evolved within the Python Community such as "sprint-driven development". The project started as a grass-root F/OSS effort in late 2002 and received EU-funding from December 2004 until November 2006. In this paper we present the various influencing factors that creates the hybrid project process that is PyPy. These influencing factors are the F/OSS Python Community (climate of the community from which PyPy grew from), agile practices (such as the Python community evolved technique of "sprinting") and the EU funding practices (resource tracking and reporting) impacting the project. These influencing factors laid the foundation for the custom-made project process that makes this unique hybrid project work. The main factor for driving this process is the skills of the team of core developers instigating the project. PyPy, with its open and transparent communication and collaborative work style, is again a proof that the best agile practice is the people factor