How to Start a Project

One of ToekomstTech's best features is its project system. Creating a project page makes your work visible to other members — and opens the door to collaboration, advice, and sometimes tools or materials you didn't know the space had.

Why create a project page?

You don't have to create a project page for everything you work on. But doing so has real benefits:

• Other members can discover your project and offer to help
• You can mark specific skills you're looking for ("Help wanted: machining, RF electronics")
• It becomes a log of what you've built at ToekomstTech
• Projects with pages are eligible for the space's small materials fund (for eligible community benefit projects)

Creating a project

1. Go to the Projects page and click New Project.
2. Fill in:
   • Title — what are you making?
   • Description — a few sentences about the project, its goals, and current status
   • Status — one of: Idea / In Progress / Complete / On Hold
   • Skills wanted — optional list of skills you'd find useful
   • Visibility — Public (anyone can see), Members (logged-in members), or Private (just you)
3. Click Create. You can edit it at any time.

Keeping it updated

A project page is most useful when it's current. Post brief updates when:

• You finish a milestone
• You hit a problem and want input
• You need a specific skill or piece of equipment
• You complete the project

Updates show up in the community feed, which is how other members stay aware of what's happening in the space.

Finding collaborators

Mark your project as "Help wanted" and list the skills you need. Members who have those skills in their profile will see your project highlighted. You can also post in #projects on Slack.

Don't be shy about asking directly too — walk up to someone in the space and say "I'm working on X, do you know anything about Y?" That's what ToekomstTech is for.

Materials and components

If your project needs components that the space might have, check the inventory first. Members often donate excess stock — there's a surprising amount of useful stuff in the component bins.

For materials that aren't in the space, the community has a small materials fund for projects that benefit the space or are of community interest. Proposals go to the board — post in #projects to float the idea first.

When it's done

Mark the project as Complete and write a short summary of what you built, what you learned, and what you'd do differently. These become a valuable part of the community's knowledge base. If it's something you're proud of, bring it to a show-and-tell evening (check events).