The author shares insights from leading a volunteer-driven project called Maglev, which is rewriting the decade-old OneBusAway server. The team, composed mostly of volunteers from various time zones, faces unique challenges. Since no one is paid and availability is unpredictable, the author emphasizes the importance of adapting common team practices to this context. Instead of daily standups, a dedicated Slack channel for updates has proven effective, allowing team members to post progress and receive prompt feedback without requiring everyone to be online at the same time. To maintain productivity, the author stresses the importance of assigning critical path tasks to reliable team members. New contributors can assist with parallel work but should first build their skills on less critical tasks. A clearly defined vision document is essential for aligning efforts, ensuring that everyone understands the project's direction and avoids unproductive work. Rapidly developing a working version of Maglev has been a game changer, enabling real-world testing that reveals issues and motivates contributors by showing tangible results. Documentation plays a key role in a distributed team. Every decision must be recorded in GitHub issues or a wiki, rather than relying on fleeting conversations in Slack. This practice helps maintain clarity and provides a reference for future questions. Accepting a certain loss of control is also critical; mistakes are inevitable in a volunteer context. When errors arise, the author suggests viewing them as learning opportunities and reflecting on how communication could improve. Overall, these lessons extend beyond volunteer projects, highlighting the need for intentional communication, thorough documentation, and strategic task management in any remote team setting.