NetPad Collaborator Onboarding
Welcome to NetPad
This package contains everything you need to get up to speed on NetPad—what we're building, where we're at, and how you can contribute.
Quick Start by Track
Full-Stack Engineering Track
- Read this overview (5 min)
- Read Architecture Overview (15 min)
- Follow setup in Getting Started (30 min)
- Pick an issue and start contributing
Product & Design Track
- Read this overview (5 min)
- Read Product Context (10 min)
- Explore the live product at netpad.io
- Review Current Priorities for UX focus areas
Integrations & Ecosystem Track
- Read this overview (5 min)
- Read Architecture Overview sections on MCP and packages (10 min)
- Review the
@netpad/*packages structure - Explore integration opportunities
What We're Building
NetPad is a MongoDB-native development platform that lets teams build internal tools, data collection apps, and automated workflows without the typical 3-month dev cycle.
Think of it as MongoDB Atlas + form builder + workflow automation in one open-source package.
The core insight: most internal tools follow the same pattern—collect data, store it, route it, act on it. NetPad makes that loop fast.
The Problem We Solve
Internal tooling at SMBs is stuck between two extremes:
| Option | Problem |
|---|---|
| Enterprise SaaS (Zendesk, ServiceNow) | Expensive per-seat pricing, lock-in, overkill for internal tools |
| Custom Development | 3+ months of dev time, ongoing maintenance burden |
| No-code tools (Typeform + Zapier + Airtable) | Integration tax, data fragmentation, not MongoDB-native |
NetPad bridges this gap: Build complete applications in 30 minutes with native MongoDB storage, visual workflow automation, and multiple deployment options.
What Makes NetPad Different
1. "Build Once, Deploy Twice"
Create a form schema once, deploy it as both:
- Traditional form UI: Field-based with validation, conditional logic, multi-page
- Conversational interface: AI-powered chat that collects the same data naturally
Same data model, two user experiences. This is our key differentiator.
2. MongoDB-Native
Not another integration to maintain:
- Forms map directly to document schemas
- Workflows query and update collections natively
- No translation layer, no sync issues
3. True Ownership
- Open source (MIT license)
- Export any app as standalone Next.js project
- No lock-in—real escape hatches that developers trust
Platform Capabilities
Forms (30+ Field Types)
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Text | Short text, long text, email, phone, URL |
| Selection | Dropdown, radio, checkbox, multi-select |
| Date/Time | Date picker, time, datetime |
| Interactive | Rating, slider, signature, file upload |
| Layout | Sections, dividers, headings |
| Advanced | Computed fields, conditional logic, validation |
Workflows (25+ Node Types)
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Triggers | Form submission, webhook, schedule, manual |
| Logic | Filter, switch, delay, loop, parallel |
| Data | MongoDB query, insert, update, delete, transform |
| Actions | Email, Slack, webhook, HTTP request, SMS |
| AI | LLM generate, classify, extract, summarize |
Templates (100+)
Pre-built templates across 14 categories:
- Business & Sales
- Healthcare & Wellness
- HR & Recruitment
- Finance & Accounting
- Customer Service
- Education & Training
- Events & Registration
- And more...
Current State
This is a real product with substantial functionality:
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| API Endpoints | 165+ |
| Form Field Types | 30+ |
| Workflow Node Types | 25+ |
| Templates | 100+ across 14 categories |
| Test Coverage | Backend 25/25 tests passing |
What's Working
- Visual form builder (WYSIWYG)
- Conversational forms with AI
- Visual workflow editor (ReactFlow)
- MongoDB Atlas integration
- Template gallery
- Application export/import
- Marketplace infrastructure
- RAG support for knowledge-grounded conversations
Current Focus
- Cloud platform UX improvements
- @netpad/templates NPM package
- Testing infrastructure expansion
- Documentation overhaul
Target Users
Primary: Internal Platform Teams at SMBs
Company size: 50-500 employees
Priority verticals:
- Finance (expense reports, approvals, compliance)
- Healthcare (patient intake, medical history, appointments)
Pain point: "We need this internal tool but don't have 3 months of dev time"
Success metric: First working app in under 30 minutes
Secondary: Developers Evaluating Build vs. Buy
Senior developers or tech leads who:
- Inspect architecture and code quality first
- Care about extensibility and escape hatches
- Compare against Retool, Appsmith, custom builds
Deployment Modes
1. NetPad Cloud (Primary)
Fully managed SaaS at netpad.io
- Zero infrastructure management
- Team collaboration built-in
- Waitlist currently active
2. Self-Hosted (Secondary)
Deploy on your own infrastructure
- For compliance/data residency requirements
- Full feature parity with cloud
3. Standalone Export (Tertiary)
Export as standalone Next.js application
- True ownership—eject from NetPad if needed
- No lock-in guarantee
The Opportunity
Michael is on sabbatical from MongoDB, building NetPad full-time. The platform is past "proof of concept"—architecture is solid, core features work, and there's a clear path to market.
What's needed: Collaborators who want to build something meaningful, not just ship tickets.
What Collaboration Looks Like
- Ship real features that users will touch
- Have actual influence on product direction
- Work async with high autonomy
- Build something you're proud to show
Tracks
| Track | Focus Areas |
|---|---|
| Product & Design | UX flows, template curation, user research |
| Full-Stack Engineering | Features, infrastructure, DX improvements |
| Integrations & Ecosystem | MCP tools, third-party connectors, packages |
Time commitment is flexible. What matters is momentum, not hours logged.
Competitive Positioning
NetPad Is
- MongoDB-native development platform
- "MongoDB Atlas + form builder + workflow automation" in one
- Open source (MIT) with cloud option
- Optimized for internal tools at SMBs
NetPad Is Not
- A Typeform competitor (we're developer-focused)
- A general-purpose database tool (MongoDB only)
- An enterprise-first platform (SMBs are primary)
- No-code only (developers can access code, configs, schemas)
Competitive Advantages
| vs. Competitor | NetPad Advantage |
|---|---|
| Retool/Appsmith | MongoDB-native, conversational forms, open source |
| Zendesk/Jira | Self-hosted option, no per-seat pricing, schema ownership |
| Custom dev | 30 minutes vs. 3 months, templates, maintained platform |
| Typeform + Zapier | Single platform, no integration tax, native data model |
Get Started
Ready to dive in? Here's where to go next:
| Document | Description | Start Here If... |
|---|---|---|
| Getting Started | Local dev setup, environment variables, first PR | You're ready to write code |
| Architecture Overview | Technical stack, system design, key patterns | You're an engineer ready to dive in |
| Current Priorities | What we're working on now, where help is needed | You want to start contributing |
| Contribution Guide | How to set up, code standards, PR process | You're ready to submit a PR |
| Product Context | Users, use cases, competitive positioning | You're interested in product/design |
| FAQ | Common questions across all tracks | You have questions |
Links
| Resource | URL |
|---|---|
| Live Product | netpad.io |
| Template Gallery | netpad.io/templates |
| Documentation | docs.netpad.io |
| GitHub Repository | github.com/netpad-io/netpad |
What We Value
- Ship over perfect: Working software beats perfect plans
- Builders building: We're hands-on, not just planning
- Clear communication: Document decisions, share context
- Ownership: Take initiative, own your work
- Kindness: We're building something together
Communication
- Async-first: We work asynchronously across time zones
- Updates: Share progress in GitHub issues/PRs
- Questions: Don't hesitate to ask—no question is too basic
- Feedback: Your fresh perspective is valuable
Ready to dive in? Start with Getting Started.