What was the problem?

As the Android Chapter Sponsor since March 2025, I served as the liaison between the Chapter and leadership: I was responsible for ensuring alignment with product direction, maintaining code quality standards, and escalating blockers. When the iOS Chapter Sponsor departed in November, the iOS chapter was left without strategic oversight and a critical bridge to leadership.

What did I do?

I expanded my sponsorship role to cover both Android and iOS chapters, becoming the Mobile Sponsor and providing unified strategic guidance across mobile development while the iOS Chapter Lead managed technical decisions independently.

How did I do it?

  1. I met with the iOS Chapter Lead to understand the chapterā€™s current state, technical priorities, and any pending escalations requiring sponsor-level attention.
  2. I began attending iOS chapter meetings as an observer to build familiarity with their challenges and dynamics.
  3. I gradually increased my participation, providing context on product direction and connecting iOS decisions to broader engineering strategy.
  4. I stepped in to lead iOS chapter meetings when the Chapter Lead was unavailable, maintaining continuity and decision velocity.
  5. I started creating an alignment in strategies between Android and iOS by connecting both Chapter Leads and driving the successes from each otherā€™s Chapter.

What did I achieve?

I successfully bridged the iOS Chapterā€™s leadership gap, ensured both chapters remained aligned with product strategy and engineering standards, and demonstrated that the Sponsor role could effectively cover multiple chapters without sacrificing quality oversight. The experience also clarified which sponsorship responsibilities are mission-critical versus ceremonial, informing how the organization structures future chapter leadership.