Explore the evolution of open hardware projects through a historical narrative tracing the development of NeTV, Milkymist, HDMI2USB, and NeTV2. Examine how these projects became interlinked through events like Congress and co-evolved with tools such as Migen and LiteX. Learn key lessons for successful open hardware initiatives, including the importance of patience, crowdfunding, and selecting appropriate tools. Gain insights into the challenges and opportunities unique to open hardware compared to open software projects, and discover strategies for maintaining community engagement and project relevance in the face of commercial competition.