# Microlab@39c3
Your project matters. And CCC is full of diverse skills and experience, willing to help.
A Microlab is a one-hour working session where you bring a key challenge, and we find the right volunteers to swarm it.
1. You can ask for specific skills or knowledge.
2. We get the word out.
3. Work together for an hour.
4. Leave with code, insights, plans, allies. Momentum.
```mermaid
flowchart TD
%% CHAOS as a loose ASCII-like constellation
subgraph chaos[The Chaos]
direction TB
a0(("웃"))
a1(("웃"))
a2(("웃"))
a3(("웃"))
a4(("웃"))
a5(("웃"))
a6(("웃"))
a7(("웃"))
a8(("웃"))
a9(("웃"))
a10(("웃"))
a11(("웃"))
end
%% challenger above chaos
challenger((Your Challenge))
challenger -- signal --> a3 -- join --> b3
a4 -- join --> b3
challenger -- signal --> a7 -- join --> b3
challenger -- signal --> a8 -- join --> b3
challenger -- signal --> a2
b3 --> solutions1(("Solution"))
b3 --> solutions2(("Solution"))
%% LAB: activated nodes in a working line
subgraph lab["Your Microlab"]
direction LR
b3((" 웃웃웃웃"))
end
```
## Want help with your project?
The first step is to message: @voboda:ungleich.ch on matrix. I can help you articulate this and get started.
We'll post your problem around CCC to find the right help.
I'll help you define these:
- Goal: where are you aiming?
- Problem: what is blocking or challenging you?
- Desired skills or experience: who should join you?
## The Signal
Then we'll get a message out that looks like this:
- Hardware FSF project that needs a fully-FOSS supply chain. Can you reverse-engineer ebay's front-end?
- Key exchange failing on old clients. Need crypto eyes.
- Intermittent race. Concurrency debugging killing me.
- Trouble restructuring our chaotic docs.
- Been blocked on audio DSP path. Need someone who knows obscure codecs.
- Need someone who has migrated large projects off GitHub.
- We’ve avoided governance. Who's done community governance redesign?
- Multiple maintainers disagreeing quietly. Been there?
- We need build reproducibility but don’t know where to start.
- Overwhelmed by issue backlog. Help triage!
- I made [thing]. Where do I find my first users?
Be specific. It helps the right people find you.
## The Microlab
Usually, two or three people show up, but they're really the right people.
A facilitator runs the session so you can just show up with your laptop and focus on your project. They’ll ask a few questions to orient everyone to what you really need, and guide the group toward useful outcomes.
It’s hands-on, casual, and you can just be yourself.
## Next step
Message @voboda:ungleich.ch on matrix (Ideally before Dec 15th, so I have time to prepare.)