The Self-Host Cast Interview: Dan Brown (BookStack)
Aug 22, 2024
Dan Brown, the developer behind BookStack and an RSS reader, shares insights from his journey in the open-source community. He discusses the design and evolution of BookStack, emphasizing user feedback and the challenges of documentation. The conversation covers the delicate balance between software stability and innovation, and the thoughtful approach to potential AI integration. Dan also addresses the financial sustainability of open-source projects and the complexities of community involvement, urging support and recognition for contributors in this collaborative space.
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Origin Story: Built To Fix Scattered Docs
- Dan started BookStack in 2015 to consolidate dispersed company docs into one easy-to-use platform.
- He built it because existing options gated access or required technical skills he didn't want to impose on non-technical staff.
Design For Nontechnical Users
- Prefer simple, familiar UI metaphors if you want non-technical users to adopt your docs tool.
- Avoid forcing users to learn markup; design so anyone can use it like a word processor.
Deliberate Structure Improves Discoverability
- Dan intentionally limited BookStack to three primary levels (books, chapters, pages) for better discoverability.
- A fixed depth improves user experience by making structure familiar and harder to lose content in deep nesting.