I think, there maybe is a way for speeding up the CI4 project a little, "for free". At the moment you strive to release an alpha version, maybe other alphas will follow. You can cut now activities like writing tests and documentation - they can be prepared and they are needed for the first beta testing by the public. For the alpha stage documentation and tests are burden that drain your strength, especially when need for refactoring gets realized, and they are obstacles for newcomers. Let people get involved easily at the beginning and later gradually escalate the testing and documentation issues.
