I find the role based FreeBSD core team approach more adapted to projects such as Debian. They also started with BDLF and then moved on to the core team approach. That's several BDFLs, every one of them with different responsibilities. It's 9 people in the case of FreeBSD. They've tried it with 20 people and then scaled back to 9:
"Deadwood and apathy in the 20-member core team lead to creating bylaws that set up a 9-member elected core team
First elected core team in 2000 with few carryovers from old core team" [1]
It should also be an odd number if they vote, so that there won't be a tie in votes. The same approach is used in kendo and other Japanese martial arts examinations, the number of examinators is always an odd number.
This also solves the "what if the BDFL is hit by a bus" problem: another member is appointed.
"Deadwood and apathy in the 20-member core team lead to creating bylaws that set up a 9-member elected core team First elected core team in 2000 with few carryovers from old core team" [1]
It should also be an odd number if they vote, so that there won't be a tie in votes. The same approach is used in kendo and other Japanese martial arts examinations, the number of examinators is always an odd number.
This also solves the "what if the BDFL is hit by a bus" problem: another member is appointed.
1. https://papers.freebsd.org/2018/bsdcan/mckusick-The_Evolutio...