THE HACKERSPACE GAME

ISSUE #01

A zine about how communities work - and why they break.

A DIY guide to do-ocracy, trust, conflict, missing stairs, burnout, and how to build resilient maker spaces.

Made by Moheeb Zara @virgilvox · HeatSync Labs
Inspired by Nicky Case's "The Evolution of Trust."

FREE
COPY
IT

✶

⚡

What Is a Hackerspace?

A hackerspace is a community-operated workspace where people share tools, knowledge, and projects.

It's soldering irons and sewing machines. 3D printers and laser cutters. Code, art, hardware, noise.

But hackerspaces aren't just about tools. They're social experiments in self-governance.

A HACKERSPACE IS A LIVING SOCIAL EXPERIMENT.

Most run on norms instead of rules. Trust instead of hierarchy. Culture instead of coercion.

We had two rules: be excellent to each other, and decide everything by consensus. We thought common sense would solve all problems. Sadly, this was not true. - Hackerspace Gent, Belgium

THIS ZINE COVERS:
Archetypes Do-ocracy Trust Conflict Governance Lifecycle

The Archetypes

Every hackerspace develops its own culture, but certain member types appear again and again. Understanding these helps predict how a community will evolve.

THE BUILDER

Does the actual work. Fixes the printer at 2am. Ships projects. The backbone of any space.

THE TALKER

Loves meetings and opinions. Great at planning, weak on execution. Can block without doing.

THE LURKER

Pays dues, rarely volunteers. Shows up for votes. Provides stability but not momentum.

THE FOUNDER

Built the early culture. Holds institutional memory. Risk: can't let go of "how we used to do things."

THE NEWBIE

Fresh energy, no baggage. Asks "why?" about sacred cows. Needs onboarding or feels excluded.

THE DRAMA

May be brilliant but toxic. Tests every boundary. One bad actor can destroy a community.

HEALTHY MIX: Builders do work, Talkers spread ideas, Lurkers provide stability. Minimize Drama.

⚠ INSIGHT: Even ONE toxic member can alter a space's entire culture.

Do-ocracy

Who Does, Decides

IF YOU DO THE WORK,
YOU CHOOSE HOW THE WORK IS DONE.

It is a misconception that nobody is in charge. The people doing stuff have authority over that project - though non-coercive, and they lose power when they stop doing. - Hackerspace Blueprint

✓ GOOD:
Fast. Flexible. Empowering.

✗ BAD:
Has sharp edges...

⚠ FAILURE MODES

1. THE VETOCRACY PROBLEM

People who don't do the work blocking those who do.

WORK

2. GLAMOUR BIAS / INVISIBLE LABOR

Fun tasks get claimed. Boring tasks (cleaning, admin, wiki) pile up. Those doing invisible work burn out first.

← VISIBLE

← INVISIBLE

3. IRREVERSIBLE DECISIONS

"Oops, I threw out that pile of parts." Can't un-paint a room purple.

Do-ocracy works until a decision can't be undone.

The Trust Economy

Hackerspaces run on trust:

Trust that borrowed tools return.
Trust that commitments will be kept.
Trust that shared space is respected.

TRUST TAKES MONTHS TO BUILD
AND SECONDS TO BREAK.

PATTERNS:

THE BETRAYAL CASCADE

When trust is violated publicly, observers update their beliefs about everyone. One bad actor can tank community trust.

BEFORE

AFTER

CLIQUE FORMATION

When trust is uneven, subgroups form. Can be healthy specialization or toxic factionalism.

healthy? or toxic?

THE NEWCOMER BARRIER

Established members trust each other. New members start at zero. Without deliberate onboarding, newcomers feel excluded.

NEWBIE

0TRUSTMAX

time

Conflict

✓ ESSENTIAL CONFLICT

Real differences: values, priorities, limited resources.
Necessary for growth.

✗ INESSENTIAL CONFLICT

Drama. Personality clashes.
Burns energy without solving anything.

THE TOOL HOG

A member monopolizes the laser cutter for weeks. Others are frustrated but no one's said anything.

Direct conversation Passive-aggressive signs

Rules help navigate essential conflict
but rules cannot protect you from drama.

Drama comes from people.

🚨 THE MISSING STAIR

Every community risks tolerating someone others work around. "Don't leave tools near Bob." "Don't be alone with Carol." New members don't know the workarounds.
They get hurt.

Healthy communities FIX THE STAIR,
not the people around it.

Governance Models

Hackerspaces experiment with different structures. Each has tradeoffs:

CONSENSUS

Everyone must agree (or not block). Very inclusive but slow. One blocker halts everything.

BOARD

Elected representatives decide. Efficient and stable. Risk: can drift from community culture.

DO-OCRACY

Who does, decides. Fast and flexible. Fails on conflict and irreversible decisions.

BDFL

(Benevolent Dictator for Life)
Works great until it doesn't. Everything depends on one person.

"Buy a $5,000 CNC router?"

Consensus: 🕐 3 weeks Board: ✓ 1 meeting Do-ocracy: ??? depends

HYBRID: Many spaces combine models. Board for big decisions, do-ocracy for daily ops, consensus for culture.

GOVERNANCE SHAPES BEHAVIOR,

but CULTURE MATTERS MORE.

The Sustainability Cycle

Hackerspaces follow a predictable lifecycle:

1FOUND

High energy, high trust, low structure.

2GROW

More members, unwritten rules stop scaling.

3STRESS

Conflicts appear. Invisible labor unsustainable.

4BURN

Key people leave. Knowledge leaves with them.

THE BURNOUT SPIRAL:

Small group does most work → They feel obligated → Resentment builds → They leave suddenly

⚡ PREVENTION:

Distribute knowledge - no single points of failure
Rotate roles - positions ≠ identities
Make stepping back okay - succession is healthy
Appreciate invisible labor publicly

BURNOUT (not money) kills most hackerspaces.

What We've Learned

CULTURE BEATS STRUCTURE.

Healthy culture + minimal rules > elaborate bylaws + toxic people.

DO-OCRACY NEEDS GUARDRAILS.

Works for small groups. Growing spaces need mechanisms for irreversible decisions.

TRUST IS THE REAL CURRENCY.

Everything else - tools, space, governance - depends on members trusting each other.

FIX THE MISSING STAIRS.

Communities that tolerate bad actors lose good members. Rules are meaningless without enforcement.

PLAN FOR SUCCESSION.

The biggest risk isn't money - it's losing key volunteers. Distribute knowledge.

In the end, running a hackerspace is an HR problem. Keep good people active and happy; warn and then prune disruptive individuals.

- Hackaday

Keep the good people supported.
Address disruptions early.
Build culture deliberately.

NOW GO BUILD SOMETHING.
In hardware, in code, or in community. ⚡

THE HACKERSPACE GAME

A community is not a product.
It's a practice.

Keep showing up.
Keep building trust.
Keep fixing stairs.

COPY • SHARE • REMIX

ISSUE #01

THE HACKERSPACE GAME

A community is not a product.
It's a practice.

Keep showing up.
Keep building trust.
Keep fixing stairs.

COPY • SHARE • REMIX

ISSUE #01

THE HACKERSPACE GAME

A zine about how communities work - and why they break.

A DIY guide to do-ocracy, trust, conflict, missing stairs, burnout, and how to build resilient maker spaces.

Made by Moheeb Zara @virgilvox · HeatSync Labs
Inspired by Nicky Case's "The Evolution of Trust."

FREE
COPY
IT

✶

⚡

What We've Learned

CULTURE BEATS STRUCTURE.

Healthy culture + minimal rules > elaborate bylaws + toxic people.

DO-OCRACY NEEDS GUARDRAILS.

Works for small groups. Growing spaces need mechanisms for irreversible decisions.

TRUST IS THE REAL CURRENCY.

Everything else - tools, space, governance - depends on members trusting each other.

FIX THE MISSING STAIRS.

Communities that tolerate bad actors lose good members. Rules are meaningless without enforcement.

PLAN FOR SUCCESSION.

The biggest risk isn't money - it's losing key volunteers. Distribute knowledge.

In the end, running a hackerspace is an HR problem. Keep good people active and happy; warn and then prune disruptive individuals.

- Hackaday

Keep the good people supported.
Address disruptions early.
Build culture deliberately.

NOW GO BUILD SOMETHING.
In hardware, in code, or in community. ⚡

What Is a Hackerspace?

A hackerspace is a community-operated workspace where people share tools, knowledge, and projects.

It's soldering irons and sewing machines. 3D printers and laser cutters. Code, art, hardware, noise.

But hackerspaces aren't just about tools. They're social experiments in self-governance.

A HACKERSPACE IS A LIVING SOCIAL EXPERIMENT.

Most run on norms instead of rules. Trust instead of hierarchy. Culture instead of coercion.

We had two rules: be excellent to each other, and decide everything by consensus. We thought common sense would solve all problems. Sadly, this was not true.- Hackerspace Gent, Belgium

THIS ZINE COVERS:
Archetypes Do-ocracy Trust Conflict Governance Lifecycle

The Sustainability Cycle

Hackerspaces follow a predictable lifecycle:

1FOUND

High energy, high trust, low structure.

2GROW

More members, unwritten rules stop scaling.

3STRESS

Conflicts appear. Invisible labor unsustainable.

4BURN

Key people leave. Knowledge leaves with them.

THE BURNOUT SPIRAL:

Small group does most work → They feel obligated → Resentment builds → They leave suddenly

⚡ PREVENTION:

Distribute knowledge - no single points of failure
Rotate roles - positions ≠ identities
Make stepping back okay - succession is healthy
Appreciate invisible labor publicly

BURNOUT (not money) kills most hackerspaces.

The Archetypes

Every hackerspace develops its own culture, but certain member types appear again and again. Understanding these helps predict how a community will evolve.

THE BUILDER

Does the actual work. Fixes the printer at 2am. Ships projects. The backbone of any space.

THE TALKER

Loves meetings and opinions. Great at planning, weak on execution. Can block without doing.

THE LURKER

Pays dues, rarely volunteers. Shows up for votes. Provides stability but not momentum.

THE FOUNDER

Built the early culture. Holds institutional memory. Risk: can't let go of "how we used to do things."

THE NEWBIE

Fresh energy, no baggage. Asks "why?" about sacred cows. Needs onboarding or feels excluded.

THE DRAMA

May be brilliant but toxic. Tests every boundary. One bad actor can destroy a community.

HEALTHY MIX: Builders do work, Talkers spread ideas, Lurkers provide stability. Minimize Drama.

⚠ INSIGHT: Even ONE toxic member can alter a space's entire culture.

Governance Models

Hackerspaces experiment with different structures. Each has tradeoffs:

CONSENSUS

Everyone must agree (or not block). Inclusive but slow. One blocker halts everything.

BOARD

Elected representatives decide. Efficient and stable. Risk: can drift from community culture.

DO-OCRACY

Who does, decides. Fast and flexible. Fails on conflict and irreversible decisions.

BDFL

(Benevolent Dictator for Life)
Works great until it doesn't. Everything depends on one person.

"Buy a $5,000 CNC router?"

Consensus: 🕐 3 weeksBoard: ✓ 1 meetingDo-ocracy: ??? depends

HYBRID: Many spaces combine models. Board for big decisions, do-ocracy for daily ops, consensus for culture.

GOVERNANCE SHAPES BEHAVIOR,

but CULTURE MATTERS MORE.

Do-ocracy

Who Does, Decides

IF YOU DO THE WORK,
YOU CHOOSE HOW THE WORK IS DONE.

It is a misconception that nobody is in charge. The people doing stuff have authority over that project - though non-coercive, and they lose power when they stop doing.- Hackerspace Blueprint

✓ GOOD:
Fast. Flexible. Empowering.

✗ BAD:
Has sharp edges...

⚠ FAILURE MODES

1. THE VETOCRACY PROBLEM

People who don't do the work blocking those who do.

WORK

2. GLAMOUR BIAS / INVISIBLE LABOR

Fun tasks get claimed. Boring tasks pile up. Those doing invisible work burn out first.

← VISIBLE

← INVISIBLE

3. IRREVERSIBLE DECISIONS

"Oops, I threw out that pile of parts." Can't un-paint a room purple.

Do-ocracy works until a decision can't be undone.

Conflict

✓ ESSENTIAL CONFLICT

Real differences: values, priorities, limited resources.
Necessary for growth.

✗ INESSENTIAL CONFLICT

Drama. Personality clashes.
Burns energy without solving anything.

THE TOOL HOG

A member monopolizes the laser cutter for weeks. Others are frustrated but no one's said anything.

Direct conversation Passive-aggressive signs

Rules help navigate essential conflict
but rules cannot protect you from drama.

Drama comes from people.

🚨 THE MISSING STAIR

Every community risks tolerating someone others work around."Don't leave tools near Bob.""Don't be alone with Carol."New members don't know the workarounds.
They get hurt.

Healthy communities FIX THE STAIR,
not the people around it.

The Trust Economy

Hackerspaces run on trust:

Trust that borrowed tools return.
Trust that commitments will be kept.
Trust that shared space is respected.

TRUST TAKES MONTHS TO BUILD
AND SECONDS TO BREAK.

PATTERNS:

THE BETRAYAL CASCADE

When trust is violated publicly, observers update their beliefs about everyone. One bad actor can tank community trust.

BEFORE

AFTER

CLIQUE FORMATION

When trust is uneven, subgroups form. Can be healthy specialization or toxic factionalism.

healthy? or toxic?

THE NEWCOMER BARRIER

Established members trust each other. New members start at zero. Without deliberate onboarding, newcomers feel excluded.

NEWBIE

0TRUSTMAX

time