Joining the ASF adds structure to the project that will help it grow the community and product. This includes formalities such as contributor agreements, so tha

Joining the ASF adds structure to the project that will help it grow the community and product. This includes formalities such as contributor agreements, so that all IP is released to the ASF, or votes so that consensus is reached by a group instead of individuals. It does add a little overhead, but the overhead is there to help grow the community in general.