Nicholas Matsakis: "Project Goals : Funding :: Chocolate : Peanut Butter" | RustConf 2026

Yes. So, hi, my name is Niko Matsakis. Uh, I was working on Rust before 1.0. So, if that was a long time for you, trust me, it's been a long time for me, too. Um, so since 2011, I'd say. And what I'm here to talk to you about is one of the things that I've been investing a lot of time in lately.

Um, so I'm here as sort of the lead emeritus, I guess if I'm pronouncing that word and using it correctly of the project goals team, which as Nell said is an effort to kind of coordinate and align on the work we want to do. The current lead is Tomas or a co-lead is right here. Um,

and so if you have questions or things, please seek one of us out after the talk. I'd love to talk about it. But what I'm specifically going to talk about is how we've been this year sort of closing the loop with project goals to do more than just plan the work we want

to do, but also to try to find ways to get it funded, right? Which has always been a perennial challenge in all the years um that I've been working on Rust. So let me start out this way. How many of the people in this room have ever wanted to get involved in Rust in some way like

working on a feature or doing maintenance? Okay, I see a lot of hands. Next question. How many people work at a company that would like to see Rust get better and wouldn't mind contributing to it either through money or people or something else? Fewer hands. Still sound good. All of you, we're going to sign you up after this talk. Uh but seriously, that that is kind of the

the purpose of project goals is to help complete this cycle of making Rust better, right? And the way it works is kind of an agreement between three parties. You have the task owner which is the person who's going or people that are going to actually be doing the work, right? Think of it like who's going to write the PR. Um then you have the Rust team which is the set of