Teable
nowWorking with the team on a PostgreSQL-powered collaborative platform. Thinking about data models, developer experience, and what happens when software meets real work.
README.mda little about me
Hi, I’m nichenqin.
I write code and build open-source software in Shanghai. I work on Teable, and previously worked on undb.
I like understanding how things work, then making them less complicated for the next person. Databases, domain models, and software people can actually own are recurring interests.
This is my personal corner of the web. Some work, some notes, and a few questions I keep coming back to.
A few preferences, beyond the bio
I prefer a clear boundary to an extra layer of abstraction. A working user flow to a convincing demo. And open formats to decisions that are hard to undo.
I enjoy moving between the model and the interface. A good idea becomes more interesting when it survives contact with real use.
#Work/work
A thread through my work with data.
undb
archivedAn earlier exploration of private-first, self-hosted no-code databases. The repository is now archived, and the project has moved to Teable.
#Notes/notes
Writing things down is one way to think them through.
#On my mind/now
Questions I like keeping open.
How much complexity can a good boundary contain?
I’m interested in domain models that make a system easier to reason about, without turning the model itself into another system to maintain.
What does it really mean to own your data?
Not just downloading a file. Understanding its structure, recovering it, and being able to leave matter too.
Can a powerful tool stay out of the way?
Sometimes a better tool needs another feature. Often it just needs to stop asking people to make decisions they should not need to make.
tools I reach for
TypeScriptPostgreSQLSvelteBunDocker#Say hello/contact
An interesting idea, a question about code, or simply a hello. I’m happy to compare notes.
emailnichenqin@gmail.com
github@nichenqin ↗