Thread view
One topic, in order, with the decision pinned at the top and the discussion under it. Threads have a status, so you know whether something is still open without reading it all.
- Decision
- pinned on top
- Status
- open or closed
Relay.
Async communication layer for distributed engineering teams — structured, searchable, calm.
Web · macOS · 2022
The story.
Relay is async communication for distributed engineering teams — structured updates instead of endless chat. We designed the thread model, built the web app and a native Mac client, and documented every architectural decision along the way.
What we did
- Platforms
- Web · macOS
- Year
- 2022
- Decisions documented
- 100%
- Communication model
- Async
The product.
Every screen people use: what it does, the decision behind it, and the details.
Compose update
Structured updates: what changed, what is blocked, what is next. The structure is what makes them searchable and skimmable, and it takes less time than a free-form post.
- Structure
- changed, blocked, next
- Shipped
- Week 4
Search
Full-text search across threads, updates and decisions, filtered by team, time and status. Finding last quarter's decision takes seconds, not an archaeology session.
- Scope
- threads, updates, decisions
- Filters
- team, time, status
Channels
Channels per team and per release, each with its open threads and recent decisions on top. Muted by default; the digest brings what matters.
- Default
- muted
- Digest
- daily
Pinned messages
Decisions and standing context pinned per channel, versioned as they change. New joiners read the pins, not the history.
- Versioned
- yes
- For
- new joiners first
Member directory
Who is on which team, in which timezone, working on what. The timezone is the point: it sets the expectation for when a reply will come.
- Shows
- team, timezone, focus
- Shipped
- Week 5
Notifications
A daily digest by default, immediate only when you are named or a thread you own changes state. Calm is a feature, and this screen is where it is enforced.
- Default
- daily digest
- Immediate
- named, or your thread changes
Integrations
GitHub, Linear and the CI, posting into the right thread automatically. A merged pull request closes its thread; a failed build opens one.
- Connected
- GitHub · Linear · CI
- Merged PR
- closes its thread
In their words.
“They brought the same rigour to our product that we bring to our code. Every decision was documented, every trade-off was considered. Exceptional.”
Dev Kapoor
CTO, Relay Technologies
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