Building a Hardware Community Our First H.M.F Hardware Workshop

Last Saturday, we hosted the first edition of the H.M.F Hardware Workshop with one simple goal: teach people the fundamentals of hardware and help them build their first hardware device from scratch. We also invited founders, builders, and hardware enthusiasts to showcase the projects they had been working on and share their experiences.

The workshop started as a small experiment.

We had limited space and wanted to run a pilot workshop to understand the demand, learn what worked, and identify what could be improved for future editions.

To kick things off, we posted a tweet to gather a small community of hardware enthusiasts.

The response was far beyond anything we expected.

The tweet received over 200,000 views, 6,000+ likes, and attracted more than 300 people to the community within the first two hours. We also had over 800 people waiting to join.

Our goal was to keep conversations focused on hardware and create a space where builders could comfortably ask questions, share knowledge, and help each other.

Soon after, we announced our first hardware workshop in partnership with Ravi Pujari from Craftech.

Everything was planned and executed within just four days.

Despite receiving more than 400 applications, we only had room for 30 participants. In the end, we stretched the capacity and accommodated over 40 people.

The objective was simple: help participants build their first hardware project and guide them through creating their own Tamagotchi-style device.

Alongside the workshop, attendees got hands-on access to projects they would normally only see online. Kinetic displays, hardware prototypes, custom devices, and even a Industrial robotic arm.

Kicking Off the Day

The workshop began at 10:00 AM with registration and kit distribution. But we wanted to make the experience memorable from the moment people walked in.

For registrations, we used a robotic arm that greeted attendees as they checked in and automatically printed their name tags. For many participants, it was their first time interacting with a real-world robotics system up close, and it immediately set the tone for the day ahead.

Instead of a standard registration desk, attendees were welcomed by a piece of hardware doing actual work something that perfectly reflected the spirit of the workshop and what we hoped to inspire people to build themselves.

We began with the fundamentals of hardware development, covering everything from electronic components and circuit design to prototyping and programming. Every participant received a hardware kit that they could use throughout the workshop and take home afterward.

The first half of the session focused on building a strong foundation. We walked through every component step-by-step, explaining what it does, how it works, how to connect it correctly, and how to program it.

To make the learning process easier, we built a custom web-based simulation tool that helped participants understand breadboard layouts, wiring, and circuit connections before touching the physical hardware. You can check the website out here: gochi.in

The simulator allowed builders to visualise where each wire should go and understand how different sections of a breadboard function. This significantly eased the learning curve for first-time hardware builders.

Building the First Prototype

Once the fundamentals were covered, participants moved on to assembling their first working device using the kits we provided.

Watching people go from knowing almost nothing about hardware in the morning to successfully wiring and programming a working project by the afternoon was incredibly rewarding.

After a short lunch break, the workshop shifted from guided learning to open experimentation.

At this point, it wasn't about following instructions anymore it was about imagination. Participants started combining sensors, writing custom code, experimenting with AI tools, and building projects beyond the original Tamagotchi concept. The room transformed into a playground for rapid prototyping and creativity.

The results were incredible.

One participant built an AI-powered question-answering device. Another created a voice assistant inspired by Rocky from Project Hail Mary. Others experimented with custom sensors, displays, and interactive hardware experiences.

What started as a small workshop quickly became a room full of people building, learning, collaborating, and discovering how accessible hardware development can be.

The Hardware Showcase

As participants continued building and experimenting with their projects, we also hosted a Hardware Showcase featuring founders, builders, and teams working on real hardware products and companies.

The showcase gave attendees an opportunity to see what building hardware looks like beyond prototypes and tutorials. Founders presented the products they were working on, shared their journeys, and gave everyone a closer look at the challenges and opportunities involved in building hardware companies.

Alongside the founder showcases, several independent builders brought projects they had been working on for months and, in some cases, years. Attendees got to interact with custom-built devices, robotics projects, and hardware experiments that they would rarely get a chance to see in person.

From robotic arms and automation projects to custom electronics and experimental builds, the showcase became one of the most inspiring parts of the day. It gave newer builders a glimpse into what is possible when curiosity turns into consistent building.

More importantly, it created conversations between beginners and experienced builders, making the workshop feel less like a classroom and more like a gathering of people passionate about building things.

Wrapping Up with a DJ Sundowner

After a full day of learning, building, and showcasing projects, we wanted to end the event on a different note.

To conclude the workshop, we hosted a DJ Sundowner with the help of DJ Amog. What started as a hardware workshop quickly turned into an evening of conversations, networking, music, and celebration.

Builders who had spent the entire day soldering, coding, debugging, and prototyping finally got a chance to relax and connect with each other. Founders, first-time builders, engineers, and enthusiasts all came together to share ideas, discuss future projects, and reflect on everything they had built throughout the day.

With over 60 people on the floor and an incredible atmosphere throughout the evening, it was the perfect way to close out the first edition of the H.M.F Hardware Workshop.

What's Next?

We’re already planning the next edition of the H.M.F Hardware Workshop and will be announcing it soon for next month. The next version will build on everything we learned from this event, with more capacity, more projects, more showcases, and even more opportunities for builders to collaborate.

Beyond workshops, we’re also working on a number of initiatives designed to support the hardware ecosystem from community gatherings and founder showcases to hands-on build sessions and larger-scale events. This workshop was just the first step in a much larger vision.

If you’d like to be part of the community and stay updated on future workshops, events, and opportunities, you can join us here: The Hardware Community

We’re excited about what’s ahead and look forward to building the next chapter of the hardware community together.

This is just the beginning.