---
title: "December Monthly Updates"
source: Twelve-Factor App
source_url: https://github.com/heroku/12factor
licence: MIT
domain: engineering
subdomain: 12factor
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

# December Monthly Updates
###### 3 Dec, 2024
### [Vish Abrams](https://github.com/vishvananda)
![Vish Abrams](/images/bios/vish.jpg) Welcome to our first monthly update\!
We're excited to share our progress and what's coming next.

## What We've Been Working On

In addition to some minor formatting fixes, our initial focus has been on
getting organized for larger updates. Here are the key activities:

* **KubeCon:** We announced the open sourcing of Twelve-Factor at KubeCon and
  had our first in-person office hours meetings. Thank you to everyone who
  joined our discussions there\! If you missed the announcements, you can watch
  our two brief keynotes:
  * [The Twelve-Factor App,
    Rebooted](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V_s4VeJvjU)
  * [Honoring the Past to Forge
    Ahead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG1nGgirkB4)
* **Concepts and Examples Separation**: We've started separating core concepts
  from examples to make the manifesto more accessible and clear ([issue
  \#13](https://github.com/twelve-factor/twelve-factor/issues/13)). This is an
  essential first step in making further updates easier to navigate.
* **Planning for Larger Changes:** We've already started planning for some
  larger changes. Details are provided in the next section.

## Current Proposals Under Discussion

After separating the concepts and examples, we're focusing on some bigger
structural and conceptual updates. We're discussing these in proposals to
gather community feedback and ensure we get the details right:

1. **Adding a Factor for Workload Identity**: This proposal introduces a new
   factor to address workload identity and improve security practices ([issue
   \#9](https://github.com/twelve-factor/twelve-factor/issues/9)).
2. **Modifying the Config Factor**: We're proposing updates to the
   configuration factor to allow for the use of mounted volumes, expanding how
   configuration data can be handled in cloud environments ([issue
   \#4](https://github.com/twelve-factor/twelve-factor/issues/4)).
3. **Updating the Logging Factor**: This proposal aims to expand the logging
   factor to include telemetry, reflecting modern observability practices
   ([issue \#3](https://github.com/twelve-factor/twelve-factor/issues/3)).

## What's Next

Our next steps will be:

* **Continuing the Separation Work**: We'll finish separating concepts from
  examples as part of laying a solid foundation for further updates, with a
  pull request for each factor.
* **Updating the Examples:** After completing the separation of concepts, we
  will update the examples to reflect modern technology.
* **Introducing Labeling or 'Facets' for Factors:** We are starting an early
  discussion about introducing labeling, or 'facets,' for factors to help
  better organize and categorize the work.
* **Working on Larger Rewrites**: Once the initial restructuring is complete,
  we'll begin rewriting specific factors to better reflect the evolving needs
  of cloud-native applications. These changes will be developed collaboratively
  through the proposal process.

Community collaboration has been fantastic, and we're excited to build on this
momentum. Stay tuned for more updates, and thank you for your continued
contributions\!

To stay involved, join our discussions on
[Discord](https://discord.gg/9HFMDMt95z) and take part in our weekly meetings
every Thursday at 8 AM PST. We'd love to have your input\!
