Ask HN: Can the philosophy and vision of BDFL projects transcend their leaders?

I admire projects like Linux, Zig and others who are based on a strong vision that are maintained by their authors.

This kind of patronage, often paired with a non-profit financial/legal structure ensures that these kinds of projects stay true to their core qualities. In large parts because there's someone who can say "No".

But what is done in these kinds projects to ensure their philosophy and vision is maintained without them, (for whatever reason)?

What are the success stories or failures?

I'm thinking of Java and Go in particular as success stories to a high degree, especially in terms of stability guarantees. It's astounding how careful and skillful these languages have been developing under their new stewardship.

What are comparable projects that were initially maintained in a BDFL-style and what is their story after they've been passed over?

How is the philosophy of a foundational (open source) project (like languages, kernels etc.) typically codified?

Are there perhaps non-tech related projects that you know about?