# RFDs: The Backbone of Oxide

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2024-08-30
- Length: 1h 42m
- Episode: 23
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-08-30-rfds-the-backbone-of-oxide
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/7f163561

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill, Adam Leventhal, Robert Mustacchi, Ben Leonard, David Crespo, and Augustus Mayo of Oxide Computer Company discuss the evolution of their Requests for Discussion (RFD) system, which serves as the backbone for technical and cultural decision-making. They trace the process from its origins in Sun's PSARC and Joyent's early experiments to Oxide's custom-built RFD site and API, highlighting the shift from Markdown to AsciiDoc and the importance of full-text search and fine-grained permissions. The group explains how this open-sourced system facilitates deep technical documentation, public transparency, and onboarding, while managing the challenges of scaling a writing-intensive engineering culture.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-08-30-rfds-the-backbone-of-oxide#t=0) Introduction and History of RFDs
- [9:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-08-30-rfds-the-backbone-of-oxide#t=566) From Sun PSARC to Joyent and Oxide
- [29:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-08-30-rfds-the-backbone-of-oxide#t=1794) Choosing AsciiDoc over Markdown
- [47:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-08-30-rfds-the-backbone-of-oxide#t=2828) Building the RFD Site and Search
- [59:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-08-30-rfds-the-backbone-of-oxide#t=3575) GitHub Integration and Permissions
- [1:09:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-08-30-rfds-the-backbone-of-oxide#t=4195) Open Sourcing and Adoption
- [1:32:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-08-30-rfds-the-backbone-of-oxide#t=5527) RFDs in Hardware Design (Gimlet and Cosmo)

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- Sun (company)
- Joyent (company)
- AsciiDoc (tool)
- GitHub (tool)
- RFD 1 (other)
- RFC 3 (other)
- Gimlet (product)
- Cosmo (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [342: That Girl's Brain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-08-27-342-that-girls-brain) (Embedded.fm)
- [045 - Rizin and Cutter](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-02-15-045-rizin-and-cutter) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [353: Red for the Ones That Might Blow Up](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-11-26-353-red-for-the-ones-that-might-blow-up) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep. 5 - Community Communication](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-09-28-ep-5-community-communication) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [Ep. 32 - How to Write Documentation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2024-11-08-ep-32-how-to-write-documentation) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-08-30-rfds-the-backbone-of-oxide. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.