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deepmind.google·6d ago
AI Engineering
Lobsters·Jun 19·5 min read
Shutting Down Fornjot
TL;DR
Fornjot aimed to fill a gap in the CAD (computer-aided design) space by developing a b-rep (boundary representation) kernel in Rust. Despite initial progress, the project was ultimately deemed unsustainable, leading to its shutdown after nearly six years of development.
✦ Why It Matters
Engineers should evaluate project sustainability and market differentiation to avoid wasted resources and time.
Key Takeaways
- Assess project viability before significant investment.
- Focus on market differentiation to justify development.
- Consider sustainability when managing multiple projects.
- Evaluate sponsor relationships based on project potential.
Full Summary
Fornjot was an early-stage boundary representation (b-rep) CAD kernel developed in Rust, intended to provide a new approach to computer-aided design. The project faced challenges as its development was sidelined by other commitments, prompting the creator to focus on one project at a time.
After making progress, the creator gained clarity on the project's viability and realized that it would take an additional 2-3 years to create a product that offered meaningful improvements over existing tools. With nearly six years invested, the decision to shut down was made to avoid misusing sponsor funds.
This situation highlights the difficulties of sustaining long-term software projects without clear differentiation in value. Engineers and researchers can learn from this experience about the importance of assessing project viability and market differentiation early in development.