---
title: Project sustainability for open hardware projects
description: This lesson addresses aspects related to project management, project life cycle consdierations and sustainability for open hardware projects.
authors: Jerry de Vos, Jose Urra
version: 1.0
---
# Project sustainability for open hardware projects
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[](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) [](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7195747)

**Date of release:** 30-09-2022
:::info
:warning: This lesson is about keeping your project active, not about sustainable aspects like impact on the planet or people.
:::
 Many open source projects start with a hidden assumption that somehow they will be sustained on their own just because they are open source. Successful open source projects have started very small and progressively evolve during several lifecycles based on the response by users and communities. **In this lesson we will address sustainability considerations for open source projects.**
:::info
**By the end of this lesson you should be able to**
- Spot critical sustainability aspects of your project
- Take action based on these assessments

**Learning objectives**
- Understand what factors influence the sustainability of a project
- Incorporate sustainability as another aspect to validate in your project
:::
## Introduction
:hand: **What do we mean by project sustainability ?**
By project sustainability we mean the ability of an individual or a team to develop the project, release it, maintain it (if required) or scale it up to respond to the users and community needs. Put in other words, sustainability has to do with how much resources (time, money, energy) you or your team have and are willing to spend on a project.

:::info
:warning: For the sake of this lesson, we assume you are the person responsible for leading and executing your project.
:::

---
*Illustration made by Jose Urra*

**:point_up: The image aims to illustrate what happens when projects are not sustainable due to an unbalance of time resources and scope.** Think of the wrongly put blocks as weak foundations that eventually provokes unsustainable situations.

Sustainability is therefore an aspect of a project that you could choose to leave out (temporarily) when framing/scoping your project, but at some point you will be confronted with it. **A mature project explicitly considers critical aspects of its sustainability from the start.**

:point_right: Read more about framing in our [Framing open hardware projects](/AHVevvT-SbOY2jq4FYdieg) lesson.

## Sustainability aspects of open source projects
In open source software projects maintainers are often the pillars that make a project sustainable. In hardware, there are also other aspects associated with bills of material and shipping costs.

:::warning
Bear in mind that the world relies mostly on open source software solutions that go from Linux, to the internet protocols, standards, all kinds of tooling and platforms. These projects have been funded and sustained in a quite complex way and diverse way. Very often open source projects are not profitable or as profitable as proprietary conventional businesses based on holding monopoly advantage in a market. Having said that, companies and organizations cannot live today without core open source solutions. **The quality of the technology and its dependability is ultimately what makes such solutions maintained in the long run.**
:::
<!-- 
Image retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/chart/25795/active-github-contributors-by-employer/ -->

### The basic factors
*Time is money*, and money provides access to resources in the form of labor (more time from others) and bills of materials for your project.

#### Time, skill, passion, and talent
If you have time to work on a project that you like you are privileged. If you have passion for the subject or type of project you are doing, that is a plus. If on top of that you have skills and talents that fit your project, you will get far.

:::info
If you happen to be one of those with expertise on a subject or skill where you can help many spend little time, then you would be a wonderful open source contributor. We want to emphasize that for some people in a specific field doing something takes them very little time, compared to non-experienced people on a subject.
:::

#### Empathy with yourself and others
Many open source projects start quite idealalistic, we don't think you need to have everything figured out. But having the ability to empathize through technology is perhaps the greatest skill successful open source people and teams have. If you develop something that you would like to have, that is empathizing with yourself, if you enjoy and want to spend time on it for the fun that is also the case. **If you are able to address others' pains through technical solutions then you are able to empathize with others.**

:::info
Empathy manifests very concretely in open source for example in documentation, but also in the fit between a design of a hardware (solution) and a perceived problem or need. Contributing guidelines and project management using issues, community meetings, etc are other examples where empathy comes into play.

This article [*How to create successful Open Hardware projects — About White Rabbits and open fields*](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273428590_How_to_create_successful_Open_Hardware_projects_-_About_White_Rabbits_and_open_fields) illustrates nicely what makes open source hardware projects successful.

One of the key points includes: *Be open, Make the design general enough, use standards and contribute to them, and be complete: from design to production test and drivers*.

The inclusiveness of a project's value proposition and the feedback from stakeholders influence positively the sustainability of the project.
:::
### The enabling factors
#### Tools, discipline and objectivity
This is very related to time and the management of resources. When we insist on using tools, techniques, and methodologies, the point is to use the time smarter, challenge your hypothesis, think about integral aspects of the project right in advance, and ideally make it part of the fun. **The process of continuously validating and challenging the assumptions of your project makes it immediately more sustainable**. Using approaches like agile or scrum can also be boosters.

#### Money
The most valuable resource in projects is people, including yourself. Wouldn't it be great if you could get paid to develop your project? Unfortunately, this is not so easy. There are different paths or possibilities when it comes to funding your open hardware project:
1. You develop a for-profit business model that works for the size and requirements of your project.
:::info
:information_source: Open Hardware business models are a topic of their own being researched and developed. The subject goes beyond the scope of this introductory lesson, to read more about it check the references we provide at the end of the lesson.
:::
2. You develop a non-profit funding model that works.
3. You are lucky enough to work with many volunteers that love your project and have the time and skill to contribute to it.
4. A combination of the above can also be another possibility.
5. Partner up with an external party such as a university or organization that can financially contribute to your project.

## Open Hardware business model archetypes in a nutshell
:::info
:information_source: Within the context of this lesson we refer to a business model archetype, as a the monetization mechanism to sell a product. The presented archetypes are typical examples in the open hardware business world.

:information_source: These are proven models that have been tested in open hardware focused markets.
:::

**Manufacturer** develops open source components to ensure reliability, customer loyalty, third party verifications, etc. As a manufacturer you benefit from manufacturing, in a context where technologies are mature enough and vendor locking strategies are limiting accessibility to many, open source can be disruptive.

**Kit retailer** DIY enthusiasts and hobbysts buy kits to develop skills and learn by doing. If the product is open source they can also become contributors.

**Crowdfunding campaigns**
[Read more about open hardware and crowdfunding.](https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2019/227/Hand-in-Hand)

**Grants for R&D** (Open source development as a service). The developer or designer is supported with funding to deliver an open source solution.

## Getting started
### Start with the basics
In *Don’t read this book: time management for creative people* the author provides a nice agorithm and diagrams to make important decisions when it comes to developing and commiting to projects. This simple algorithm points to important aspects we have discussed previously.
Image retrieved from the book: D. Roos, Don’t read this book: time management for creative people, 2nd printing. BIS Publishers B.V, 2017.

Lets expand a bit on the different aspects.
1. **Do you believe in it?** Do you have motivation and interest to pursue this project?
2. **Does the project fit your hastag** This has to do with your own identity, the compound of skills, talents and type of thing you are good at, or are interested in getting good at.
3. **Would you need/use it yourself?** This has to do with the aspect of empathizing with you and others at the same time. It has to do with the core value proposition of the project.
:::warning
:warning: Bare in mind that needs are also framed and created (for good and for bad). We see a lot of products that are sold and we may wonder if they are really relevant for society or not. With this note we aim to expand on the idea that needs are also developed socially, education and persuasion are also means to create new needs. This is basically an ideological issue.
:::
4. **Do you have time to commit?**
5. **Can you do it youself?** Do you have the skill set to do the project, or would you need to learn things? This will have an impact on the time you are willing to spend.
6. **Is there a market?** Are there enough people interested to join as contributors or users. Would this benefit sectors or segments that funders would be willing to commit to. Can you monetize with your design?
7. **Is it fun?** Are you going to enjoy working on a project on your own or with others?

:::success
**Tips**
- Even though these are not enough to make a project sustainable, they are necessesary conditions to sustain an initiative in the long run.
- These will help you avoid unsustainable paths.
:::

## Monetization and funding
### Incorporate business modeling in your framing
The most widely disseminated tool to model businesses is the [business model canvas](https://www.strategyzer.com/canvas/business-model-canvas), invented by Alex Osterwalder. We have mentioned it as a tool in our [Framing open hardware projects](/AHVevvT-SbOY2jq4FYdieg), and used two of its components also in the [Hardware design and prototyping](/1kONu5gwSS6knAGnwcO5KQ).


The figure shows the relationship between Value Proposition within the business model canvas. Image retreived from: https://blogs.berkeley.edu/2014/10/24/the-business-model-canvas-gets-even-better-value-proposition-design/

:::success
**Tips**
- A model is always limited, use it to expand and theorize about your project to organize your thinking and re-framing process.
- Quantify the model if you happen to be using the business model canvas. Here is a nice dynamics simulation model to prototype aspects of a business model: https://insightmaker.com/insight/5jWpJ9GADNHcAwH0vXOrD9/Buyers-Market-BMC-with-Stocks-and-Flows
- Research about derivative models from the business model canvas and find one that includes other aspects in the model.
- Extend the model with your own insight once you feel familiarized iwth it.

:::

# Exercises
**Goal:** The goal of the following exercises is basically to enrich the framing of your project.
:::success
**Tips**
- Just like in our other lessons we stronlgy believe that the more predictable the outcomes of your project, the easier it is to assess its sustainability. The problem is that we dont know everything and this is where iteration and progressive develop
- If you haven't framed your project yet we suggest to do the framing exercises in our [Framing open hardware projects](/AHVevvT-SbOY2jq4FYdieg) lessons.
- If you haven't got yet a place where you capture your projects core assumptions and hypothesis. Take a look at our [Hardware design and prototyping](/1kONu5gwSS6knAGnwcO5KQ) lesson where we explain how to create a test board.
:::

## Exercise 1 (Optional) - Assess the sustainability of your current project cycle

**Instructions**: Fill in this test card to incorporate in your project board (This doesn't have to be public as these are personal internal aspects of a project. You can talk about it with your peers and mentors)

## Test name (this can be the name of the GitHub issue)
duration, deadline (these metadata can be added in GitHub issues)

Step 1: Sustanability hypothesis
- Example 1: I believe that I can deliver this project in 6 months while I am doing also my master studies or PhD because I can do it relatively easy and I know exactly how to do it.
- Example 2: I believe I can learn new things in this project and will also complement my studies. 
- Hypothesis importance (score from 1 to 3)

Step 2: Test
- Example: To verify that, I will plan a sprint of 3 months where I will focus on a set of tasks....

Step3: Metric
- Example: And measure..... how much time it takes me, how capable I am actually of performing the tasks
- Example: How many hours I spend

Step 4: Criteria
Example: I am right if I can deliver most of the tasks I planned in my sprint.

Learning documentation

Step 5: Observation
- Example 1: I observed that ..... The problem was a bit more complex than expected
- Example 2: I observed that some people replicated the hardware succesfully.

Step 6: Learning and insights
- Example 1: From what I learned that project needs more time and expertise in hardware electronics
- Example 2: Someone with coding expertise would be needed if I want to make a more robust solution.
- Example 3: From what I learned that other potential contributors found similar projects that are more mature

Step 7:
- Example 1: Therefore, I will ... stall the project for now
- Example 2: I will continue the project if I find someone that wants to co-develop with me the coding aspect of it.
- Example 3: I will continue to a next cycle if the acceptance tests are succesful and early adopters are willing to use my hardware product.

## Exercise 2 (Optional) - Assess the sustainability of your project after your next release
**Instructions**: Fill in this test card to incorporate in your project board.

## Test name (this can be the name of the GitHub issue)
duration, deadline (these metadata can be added in GitHub issues)

Step 1: Sustanability hypothesis
- Example 1: I believe that after I finish this cycle and I release my content I will not need to maintain the project further.
- Example 2: I believe the feedback I will get on my alpha testing will allow me to show evidence to attract funders and new developers.
- Examle 3: I will provide budget for contributors to replicate the hardware and perform acceptance testings...
- Hypothesis importance (score from 1 to 3)

Step 2: Test
- Example: To verify that, I will release my project and deliver a couple of seminars to engage with potential community members.

Step3: Metric
- Example 1: And measure..... How many capable contributors get engaged in the community calls
- Example 2: How many people replicate the hardware, do acceptance testing and provide feedback

Step 4: Criteria
Example: I am right I find contributors to run acceptance tests.

Learning documentation

Step 5: Observation
- We observed that ..... 

Step 6: Learning and insights
- From what we learned that ....

Step 7:
- Therefore, we will ... <what you will do after capturing this insight, perhaps new prototypes or different types of tests>

# References
[1] A. Fjeldsted, G. Adalsteinsdottir, T. J. Howard, and T. McAloone, “Open Source Development of Tangible Products,” DS 71: Proceedings of NordDesign 2012, the 9th NordDesign conference, Aarlborg University, Denmark. 22-24.08.2012, 2012, Accessed: Sep. 30, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.designsociety.org/publication/38539/Open+Source+Development+of+Tangible+Products

[2] E. Ferreira, “Open Hardware Business Models,” Open Source Business Resource, no. April 2008, 2008.

[3] “Buyer’s Market BMC with Stocks and Flows | Insight Maker.” https://insightmaker.com/insight/5jWpJ9GADNHcAwH0vXOrD9/Buyers-Market-BMC-with-Stocks-and-Flows (accessed Sep. 30, 2022).

[4] “Fair and Open IT: Part 3 - Openness is a Business Model,” P2P Foundation, Mar. 21, 2015. https://blog.p2pfoundation.net/fair-and-open-it-part-3-openness-is-a-business-model/2015/03/21 (accessed Sep. 30, 2022).

[5] M. Bauwens, “The prospects for open hardware as a business ecosystem,” P2P Foundation, Oct. 05, 2013. https://blog.p2pfoundation.net/the-prospects-for-open-hardware-as-a-business-ecosystem/2013/10/05 (accessed Sep. 30, 2022).

[6] “The New Business Of Open Source — Monetizing Frameworks | by Bryan Offutt | Geek Culture | Medium.” https://medium.com/geekculture/the-new-business-of-open-source-monetizing-frameworks-5eed932f8b9f (accessed Sep. 30, 2022).

[7] D. Roos, Don’t read this book: time management for creative people, 2nd printing. BIS Publishers B.V, 2017.

[8] “Getting Paid for Open Source Work,” Open Source Guides, Sep. 22, 2022. https://opensource.guide/getting-paid/ (accessed Sep. 29, 2022).

[9] “Open Source Hardware for Industrial use.” https://archive.fosdem.org/2020/schedule/event/olimex_oshw/ (accessed Sep. 29, 2022).

[10] “Tragedy of the commons,” Wikipedia. Sep. 24, 2022. Accessed: Sep. 29, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tragedy_of_the_commons&oldid=1112084264

[11] “Fundamentals of project sustainability.” https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/fundamentals-project-sustainability-9369 (accessed Sep. 29, 2022).

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