Welcome to MindBoard

MindBoard is a platform where developers can share their startup ideas, get feedback, find collaborators, and build in public.

1. Create Your Account

Sign up with GitHub to get started. Your profile is automatically created with your GitHub info.

2. Create Your First Project

Click "New Project" to share what you're building. Add a name, description, and tech stack.

3. Engage with the Community

Browse projects, leave comments, give lifts (our version of likes), and connect with other builders.

Projects

Projects are the core of MindBoard. Each project represents something you're building, from early concepts to production apps.

• Stages: Concept, Planning, Development, Beta, Production
• Visibility: Public (anyone can see) or Private (only you and collaborators)
• Tech Stack: Tag your project with the technologies you're using
• Updates: Share progress via the timeline feature

Lifts

Lifts are our way of showing support. Give a project a lift to bookmark it and show appreciation.

Connections

Connect with other developers to follow their work and stay updated on their projects.

Required Fields

• Project Name: Clear, memorable name for your project
• Description: What problem are you solving? What are you building?
• Stage: Current development stage
• Visibility: Public or Private

Optional Enhancements

• Cover Image: Visual representation of your project
• Tech Stack: Technologies you're using (searchable)
• Live URL: Link to your deployed app
• GitHub Repo: Link to your source code (auto-pulls repo info)
• Categories: Tag your project type (Web App, Mobile, API, etc.)

Best Practices

Public Projects

Public projects are visible to everyone and appear in:

• Explore page (all public projects)
• Your public profile
• Search results
• Trending and recommended sections

Private Projects

Private projects are only visible to:

• You (the owner)
• Invited collaborators

Use private projects for ideas you're not ready to share publicly, or for client work that requires confidentiality.

Invite others to collaborate on your projects. Collaborators can:

• View private projects
• Comment and participate in discussions
• Add timeline entries and updates
• Receive notifications about project updates

Managing Contributors

Project owners can manage contributors from the /my-projects page:

• View all contributors for each project
• Remove contributors from projects
• See contributor avatars and usernames

Leaving a Project

If you're a contributor on a project and want to leave:

1. Go to /my-projects
2. Click on the "Contributing" tab
3. Find the project you want to leave
4. Click "Leave Project" and confirm

Owner Permissions: Only project owners can edit project details, delete the project, or manage (add/remove) collaborators.

Tag your projects with the technologies you're using. This helps:

• Other developers find projects using similar tech
• Build credibility and showcase your skills
• Connect with developers using the same tools

Examples: React, Next.js, TypeScript, Supabase, Tailwind CSS, Node.js, Python, PostgreSQL

Use community posts to:

• Ask questions and get help from the community
• Share insights, tips, or lessons learned
• Start discussions about trends or best practices
• Get feedback on specific features or ideas

Leave thoughtful comments on projects and community posts. Good comments:

• Provide constructive feedback
• Ask clarifying questions
• Share relevant experiences
• Encourage and support other builders

Connect with other developers to:

• See their new projects in your feed
• Get notified when they ship updates
• Build your professional network

Connections are mutual - when you connect with someone, they can also see your updates.

Idea Lab is an AI-powered idea validation and research engine that helps you critically analyze startup ideas before investing time and resources.

How It Works

1. Describe your idea (30-1000 characters)
2. Select your goal type (startup, learning, open source, experiment)
3. Choose experience level and time commitment
4. Select analysis lenses (Builder, Founder, Skeptic, Product)
5. Get a structured analysis report

Analysis Report Structure

Idea Lab uses a fixed, deterministic schema to ensure consistent, reliable analysis reports. Every report includes:

• Idea Summary: Neutral restatement of your concept
• Realism Assessment: 1-10 score with descriptive label (e.g., "Challenging but possible")
• Market Validation: Problem analysis and competitor list with interactive badges
• Differentiation: What makes your idea unique (or doesn't)
• MVP Feature Scope: Structured breakdown with:
  • Must Have - Core features required for MVP
  • Nice to Have - Features that enhance but aren't critical
  • Avoid (for MVP) - Features to explicitly exclude initially
• Suggested Initial Steps: Actionable steps with titles and descriptions
• Execution Risks: List of potential challenges and failure points

Analysis Lenses

Saving & Publishing

After receiving your analysis, you have two options:

1. Save Session First: Click "Save this Idea Lab session" to store the analysis. Once saved, you'll see:
   • Create New Project: Turn the validated idea into a new project
   • Add to Existing Project: Publish to an existing project's timeline as a 🧠 Idea entry
2. Discard: If you don't want to save the analysis, click "Discard" to start over

Send direct messages to other MindBoard users for private conversations. Features include:

• Real-time messaging with typing indicators
• Online/offline presence status
• File sharing (images, documents, code)
• Unread message badges

Share files directly in messages:

• Drag & drop: Drag files into the message composer
• Paste: Copy and paste images directly
• Browse: Click the attachment icon to select files

Supported: Images, PDFs, documents (max 10MB per file)

See who's online in real-time:

• ● Online - Active in the last 5 minutes
• ● Idle - No activity in last 5-30 minutes
• ● Offline - Not online

Building in public means sharing your journey as you build. Benefits:

• Early feedback: Validate ideas before investing months
• Accountability: Public commits help you stay consistent
• Marketing: Build an audience while you build your product
• Network effects: Attract collaborators, customers, and supporters

To get quality feedback:

• Be specific about what you want feedback on
• Share screenshots or demos (not just text)
• Explain the problem you're solving
• Ask targeted questions

Good Feedback Requests

Build meaningful connections:

• Leave thoughtful comments on projects you're interested in
• Share your progress regularly (weekly updates work well)
• Help others by answering questions in the community
• Connect with people working on similar problems
• Engage authentically - quality over quantity

The best way to grow on MindBoard is to be genuinely helpful and consistently ship.