Currently
A real-time status board for distributed teams.
currently.team- Role
- Creator & Developer
- Timeline
- 2024 – Present
- Built with
- Next.js · TypeScript · Convex · Tailwind CSS
The problem
Distributed teams stay in sync with standups and Slack check-ins. Both interrupt focused work, and both tend to lag behind whatever someone is actually doing right now.
The design direction
Currently lets each person post a short status line. Updates sync to the rest of the team instantly through Convex, so there's no polling and no manual refresh. The interface is intentionally small: open it, glance, and close it.
Decision process
How the design took shape
Each choice follows the same path: identify the signal, make a focused decision, and be explicit about what that decision leaves out.
- 01
How much should a status update ask of someone?
- Signal
- Standups interrupt focused work, while long written updates quickly become another reporting task.
- Decision
- Reduce the update to one short status line that takes seconds to write.
- Tradeoff
- The format gives up detailed project history in exchange for a current, low-friction signal.
- 02
How should the board stay trustworthy?
- Signal
- A status board loses value as soon as people have to refresh it or wonder whether they are seeing stale information.
- Decision
- Use Convex to push updates and presence changes to every connected teammate in real time.
- Tradeoff
- The product depends on a live connection, but avoids the ambiguity and friction of manual refreshes.
- 03
What belongs in the interface?
- Signal
- The job is awareness, not project management: people need to know what teammates are doing and then return to their work.
- Decision
- Keep the experience to a compact team view, a single update action, and lightweight presence cues.
- Tradeoff
- Currently deliberately omits tasks, threads, and reporting so the board remains glanceable.
What shipped
- Built on Convex for reactive sync across connected clients
- Single-line status updates that take a few seconds to write
- Presence indicators for who's currently active
- Replaces daily standups for the small teams using it
- Designed and shipped solo