Metadoc is an effort to rethink the way developers collaborate on tech education, similar to how Github rethought the way we collaborate on code. We believe documentation is the key to unlocking the potential of each new generation of tech talent (see our reasoning below). We appreciate support from anyone who feels the same or supports the cause. We're a pre-revenue bootstrapped startup, funded from our own not-so-deep pockets.

Here's why we care so much...

Documentation is important (and tough to get right)

Documentation is critical for using development time effectively. The industry is currently fragmented, with an overwhelming number of places to go for information. The fracture needs to be mended to make development time more effective.

We got tired of opening many different browser tabs, scouring inconsistent documentation formats, and bookmarking pages we think are important but don't usually make a difference. The pain is especially intense when you actually need reference materials (c'mon, you know you bookmark stuff for later and can't find it later). Metadoc resolves that, by providing a centralized documentation platform with consistent formatting and relevant annotations. This creates a superior experience when using documentation. The authoring experience is also simpler, capable of integrating disparate documentation sources into a single experience.

Future generations profit from (notes in the) margins

Metadoc is designed to facilitate education, making it possible to "pass the torch" in meaningful ways. We believe veteran developers, team leaders, exiting employees, and technical writers should have a simple way to leave their legacy, enabling the next wave of developers to continue and expand upon their work. Metadoc provides note taking, bookmarking, and personal comment features, enabling veteran developers to provide successor generations with detail that makes a difference.

We're passionate about code

Our team has created many open source projects. Several of them are the ones you forget about, until they're gone (in which case you wonder how you got by without them). They do their job and get out of your way. Projects like Fenix Web Server, NVM for Windows, and node-windows/mac/linux are relied upon by millions of developers each day. These are enabling tools, helping developers focus on their goals. We continue to innovate and release OSS as we build Metadoc. NGN, Author, the CLI First Strategy (OpenJS World 2020) and corresponding shell library, IAM, Common API, and more have already spun off from the work we've been doing for Metadoc. As this process continues, our passion for making these projects accessible to everyone through documentation only gets stronger. More importantly, we continue to fulfill our mission of making development better for everyone.

How Sponsorship Helps

To build Metadoc properly, there are costs. It's not just labor (though that's a huge chunk), we need infrastructure too. Metadoc graduated from Y-Combinator's Startup School in the Winter 2020 cohort (just before the COVID pandemic) and has received initial support from providers and partners in that program, but that's just a starting point. Sponsorship offsets some of our ongoing and upcoming costs. It helps keep us focused on delivering an excellent experience instead of consulting/contracting (which has always been how we feed our families).