I sometimes do things (cleanup, refacs) off-ticket / not part of the ticket. It can be a light alternative when other stuff is complicated and demotivating. Depending on your environment and team/contract setup, simply doing it could be more difficult though.
If it serves your satisfaction and productivity, and is good for the product, then it’s not wasted. Not everything has to be - or even can be - preplanned.
I can’t get what it describes through all the Jedi stuff and jokes.
One mentor and one apprentice? And everything else remains unspecified and open?
For FOSS, as it is described, it makes me think it’s a big investment with unclear risk (will they even stay as a contributor?). Which of course can be contextualized - but then what is left here?