What is an Heirloom Original?

Why this exists

Breaking into meaningful projects has a catch-22: you need proof to get opportunities, but you need opportunities to get proof. Meanwhile, a lot of side projects fizzle because teams form randomly, expectations are vague, and nobody can point to what actually got shipped.

Heirloom flips that. We curate small, scoped projects with clear first steps, we make progress visible in public, and we tie contribution to earned ownership - without asking you to sign legal docs on day one or chase cash bounties.

Our goal is to help you earn experience you can point to when applying for that next role or pursuing your next opportunity. Importantly, we also want to give you a space to work on something you find interesting with people who do, too. Originals range from game development studios to music collectives. Find your team, create something together, and have fun doing it.

What is a “Heirloom Original”?

Heirloom Originals are starter organizations we seed to keep the shelves stocked with high-quality things to build. They aren’t fake listings; they are real, scoped projects with:

• A simple charter and a target user.
• A steward (initially Heirloom or an ambassador) who gives feedback within 24 hours.
• A weekly demo cadence so momentum stays real.

Every card on the Explore page clearly labels Originals as “Heirloom Original - Open to New Leads.” As contributors ship and leaders emerge, stewardship can transfer to the community. If a project stalls - no demo for ~10 days - we’ll archive it. Quality beats quantity.

If you find a good group within an Original and want to start something else, that’s the intention. Originals serve as a starter for individuals with similar passions to convene and start building. Not every Original will be exactly what you want - and that’s the point. You can create a new Loom and see if others are interested in another creative endeavor.

How earned ownership works

From your first task, you earn Earned Ownership Points (EOPs) - simple points attached to finished work. Each Original has a Contributor Pool (for example, a posted percentage of future equity). If the project later becomes a company or produces revenue, your share of that pool is proportional to your EOPs.

Until then, your EOPs have immediate, portable value:

• Voting & Decision Making: in-platform prioritization and polls reflect EOPs so the people doing the work have a real say in what gets done.
• Agency: top contributors can take Lead Steward after consistent shipping - or, if a project truly goes silent, request to adopt or fork it under a permissive license.

We call the moment a team formalizes a split a Conversion Ceremony: a 15-minute session where the ledger rolls into a suggested split, the team agrees on a simple Shared-Work MoU (a non-binding memo with vesting/cliff language), and everyone keeps building. If the team decides to incorporate later, we export to a proper agreement.

Earned ownership is a valuable part of making online collaboration work. At Heirloom, we believe you should be rewarded fairly for your work and the contributions you make to a project’s success. By tracking ownership over time, you can start building right away - without arguing about who deserves what up front. Predetermined splits often age poorly as reality changes. We help you avoid that and keep everyone aligned on the same goal: build something great.

What you can put on a résumé right now

This isn’t “I joined a Discord.” It’s concrete, linkable proof:

• A public project card that shows what shipped this week.
• A ledger snapshot that lists your tasks, dates, and outcomes.
• Short demo clips embedded in your Shipfolio.
• A Heirloom reference (templated letter) co-signed by the steward once you’ve shipped two weeks in a row.
• An optional write-up you can attach to applications: problem → your role → artifact → impact.

Hiring managers and founders want to see momentum and clarity. That’s what we standardize.

How an ideator joins - without breaking fairness

When a founder (an “ideator”) claims a project or submits a new one, they adopt the same rails: a Contributor Pool, the MoU, and the weekly demo cadence. Your earned EOPs remain on the ledger. Going forward, the team can blend new work fairly, with everyone accruing ownership by shipping.

For founders, the pitch is simple: there’s already a team shipping. Plug into momentum, not a blank slate.

What getting started looks like (your first 72 hours)

You create an account, browse the Explore page, and pick one Original that excites you. Submit a role application and then you’ll hear back from the Loom’s steward shortly. Form there, you join the Loom, start participating in development and keep building. Prefer to start your own Loom? Do it anytime - Originals are a launchpad, not a lock‑in.

What this is not

It’s not a gig marketplace, and there are no cash bounties in Originals. We don’t ask you to sign employment contracts or hand over rights to a company that doesn’t exist. You choose where to invest your time, and the rails keep contributions visible and fair. If money ever enters the picture - because a project generates revenue or raises funding - that’s when the Conversion Ceremony matters.

Common questions

Is this “spec work”? No. Originals are community-owned starters with a posted Contributor Pool. Your rights are spelled out on day one, your EOPs are public, and you can leave or adopt if a project stalls.

Who owns the IP? Originals ship under permissive licenses suitable for early collaboration. When a team converts (MoU) or incorporates, the team can re-license and map prior work to the agreed split.

What if a project dies? We archive inactive projects to protect your time. Your Shipfolio and ledger snapshots remain as proof. Top contributors can request to adopt.

How much time should I invest? Most roles ask for 2–4 hours a week. We optimize for visible, consistent shipping over marathons.

Will I ever get equity? If a project becomes a company or starts making money, your EOPs map to a percentage of the Contributor Pool via the Conversion Ceremony. Until then, you keep building résumé-ready proof and reputation.

Is any of this legal advice? No. We provide simple, optional templates and exports. When you’re ready to incorporate, we can point you to counsel. We’ll hand you organized history that makes that conversation easier.

For schools, clubs, and communities

We run short Team Foundry sprints using the same rails. Your students or members get real shipping experience, public proof, and an on-ramp to shared ownership. You get engagement, demos, and outcomes to showcase. Ask about pilots if you want to run a sprint with your cohort.

The spirit of the thing

Ownership should be earned by shipping, not by winning the cofounder lottery. We created Heirloom Originals so anyone can plug into that idea today: clear steps, visible progress, and a fair path to upside if the work becomes something bigger. If all you take with you is a handful of strong demos and a reference you’re proud of, that’s still a win. If your team crosses the line into a company, the rails you used from day one make the split feel obvious and honest.