about

why this exists

most hobby content is written for the version of you who sticks with it. that version is rarer than the internet pretends. for every person still building keyboards two years in, there are nine who spent $150, used it for a month, and put it in a drawer.

hobby phase is built for the nine. and for the one — but only at the tier they're actually in.

three tiers, every hobby: curiosity, first build, enthusiast. each recommendation comes with a "what you don't need yet" list — because the fastest way to quit a hobby is to over-buy at the start.

how we make money

affiliate links. when you click a recommendation and buy, we get a small cut from the retailer. it doesn't change the price you pay, and it doesn't change which products we recommend — every product here was on the shortlist before we checked which programs we're in.

full disclosure on the affiliate disclosure page.