diff --git a/apps/web/content/articles/company-handbook-in-public.mdx b/apps/web/content/articles/company-handbook-in-public.mdx index 1410afc008..055faadcd2 100644 --- a/apps/web/content/articles/company-handbook-in-public.mdx +++ b/apps/web/content/articles/company-handbook-in-public.mdx @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ --- -display_title: "Why We''re Publishing Our Company Handbook" +display_title: "Why We're Publishing Our Company Handbook" meta_title: "Why We're Publishing Our Company Handbook at Hyprnote" meta_description: "Why early-stage companies are built on founder philosophy, not just products—and why we're publishing our company handbook openly at Hyprnote." author: "John Jeong" @@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ created: "2025-12-12" published: true --- -Why We're Publishing Our Company Handbook at Hyprnote - In the early days of a startup, engagement doesn't come from feature lists or polished landing pages. It comes from how the founders see the future. @@ -17,26 +15,26 @@ Before companies had traction, they had manifestos. Before metrics, they had bel That's why we decided to publish our company handbook openly at Hyprnote. -Two Documents, Not One +## Two Documents, Not One At the start of Y Combinator, a visiting partner named Eli shared something that stuck with me. When he was trying to hire exceptional engineers, he never sent just one document. He sent two. -The first was straightforward: requirements. +The first was straightforward: requirements. The tech stack, the tools, how things worked on a day-to-day basis. -The second was harder to write: expectations. -How decisions are actually made. -What ownership really means. +The second was harder to write: expectations. +How decisions are actually made. +What ownership really means. What "doing a good job" looks like inside the company. At the time, this sounded like a hiring tactic. Only later did I realize the second document was doing most of the work. -Requirements filter for ability. +Requirements filter for ability. Expectations filter for alignment. -What Most Early-Stage Companies Don't Write Down +## What Most Early-Stage Companies Don't Write Down Most startups are very good at explaining what they're building. @@ -50,7 +48,7 @@ Our code is public by default. Anyone can read it, audit it, or contribute to it We didn't want that asymmetry. -Why Put a Handbook on the Website? +## Why Put a Handbook on the Website? Publishing a company handbook publicly isn't about transparency as a virtue signal. @@ -62,11 +60,11 @@ That's why some of the most respected open-source companies — like GitLab, Cal We believe authentic writing — especially early on — creates more meaningful engagement than any polished marketing copy ever could. -What Our Handbook Is (and Isn't) +## What Our Handbook Is (and Isn't) The Hyprnote handbook is not a rulebook. -It's not a list of corporate values. +It's not a list of corporate values. It's not a finished product. It's a snapshot of how we define good work, ownership, communication, and trust — right now. @@ -75,13 +73,13 @@ Some parts may change. Some beliefs may evolve. That's expected. What matters is For us, writing this down is slightly uncomfortable. And that's exactly why it matters. -An Invitation +## An Invitation If you're building a company — especially an open-source one — I'd encourage you to ask: What expectations exist in your company that everyone "just knows," but have never been written down? -And if you're reading this as a contributor, user, or future teammate: +And if you're reading this as a contributor, user, or future teammate: this handbook is our attempt to show how we think, not just what we build. That feels like the right place to start.