The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source Goodbye Atom. Hello Zed. (Interview)
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Mar 15, 2023 
Nathan Sobo, known for creating the Atom editor at GitHub, dives into his latest venture: Zed, a high-performance multiplayer code editor. He details the evolution from Atom to Zed, highlighting significant lessons learned and the challenges faced. The discussion emphasizes speed, collaboration, and a user-centric focus. Sobo also explores how Zed aims to revolutionize coding through innovation and community engagement, drawing parallels to gaming culture in collaborative development.
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Atom's Origin Story
- Nathan Sobo recounts Atom's origin, starting with a webkit framework at GitHub.
- He worked on node integration for NPM access, leading to Electron's creation.
Atom's Limitations
- Nathan Sobo realized that Atom, despite its success, couldn't achieve his vision for a collaborative editor.
- He decided to start over, leading to the creation of Zed.
VS Code's Rise and Atom's Fall
- Microsoft's VS Code team leveraged Atom's open-source Electron and existing tech.
- This gave them a head start, while Atom faced self-inflicted wounds like delayed tech upgrades and unclear leadership.