Merge pull request #469 from datum-cloud/cont-handbook

Refactor handbook content for clarity and consistency

Author: felixwidjaja

src/content/handbook/company/deciding-what-products-to-build.md

@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ updatedDate: May 21, 2025
 authors: jacob
 ---
 
-We're convinced that basically every important business going forward will be digital, and will require "hyperscaler" or "modern service provider" advantages to truly compete and win. However, most companies simply don't have the capabilities, the resources, the relationships, or the time to do it all. We believe we can help 1-2k of them play to win. This is our "why".
+Datum is the neutral, open network cloud designed to power the next 1,000 hyperscalers.
 
-Over the last cycle, developers were abstracted from the lowest, most critical layers of networking. Powerful capabilities like private connectivity, peering, and deterministic routing are now basically invisible to them, with a high barrier to entry and an interface stuck in the telco era. At the same time, our software-driven world is getting more complex and fragmented right alongside a rapid increase in the value of connected, data-aware global experiences.
+Our passion is connecting fragmented ecosystems across clouds, providers, and enterprises—giving builders the programmatic control, performance, and observability they need to operate in an AI-native world.
 
-We think developers need networking superpowers to build the best version of the future and connect securely with the partners, providers, applications, and customers that help them win. Our mission is to make it happen.
+With an open source foundation and a business model built on the success of partners, we connect providers with their unique ecosystem advantage, so they can play to win.

src/content/handbook/company/how-we-got-here.md

@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@ updatedDate: May 21, 2025
 authors: jacob
 ---
 
+## Born different
 Datum was born from the experience of building and scaling infrastructure companies like Packet (acquired by Equinix). We saw firsthand how the best teams get stuck stitching together complex infrastructure instead of focusing on their core differentiation.
 
 The founding insight: What if we could give every innovative company the networking superpowers that only hyperscalers have today?
 
-**Key moments in our journey:**
+## Key moments in our journey
 - Recognized the growing abstraction gap between developers and networking
 - Understood that AI would accelerate this complexity exponentially  
 - Saw the opportunity to update the collaborative, open architecture of the original internet

src/content/handbook/company/how-we-make-money.md

@@ -9,23 +9,23 @@ authors: jacob
 
 We make money when our ecosystem thrives. Our business model aligns our success with our customers' success.
 
-**Revenue streams:**
+## Revenue streams
 - **Datum Cloud** - Managed infrastructure services with transparent, usage-based pricing
 - **Datum OS** - Business operating system for product-led companies
 - **Datum Marketplace** - Neutral commercial ecosystem with rebill-style margins
 
-**Pricing philosophy:**
+## Pricing philosophy
 - Transparent, predictable pricing that scales with value delivered
 - No margin stacking on partner solutions
 - Free tiers that let developers experiment and learn
 - Enterprise pricing that reflects the business value we create
 
-**2025 targets:**
+## 2025 targets
 - $25k MRR
 - 500 quality organizations on the platform
 - 5 AI native companies "leaning in"
 
-**2027 vision:**
+## 2027 vision
 - $2M MRR
 - 70% gross margin
 - 120% net dollar retention

src/content/handbook/company/how-we-talk-to-each-other.md

@@ -7,8 +7,4 @@ updatedDate: May 21, 2025
 authors: jacob
 ---
 
-We're convinced that basically every important business going forward will be digital, and will require "hyperscaler" or "modern service provider" advantages to truly compete and win. However, most companies simply don't have the capabilities, the resources, the relationships, or the time to do it all. We believe we can help 1-2k of them play to win. This is our "why".
-
-Over the last cycle, developers were abstracted from the lowest, most critical layers of networking. Powerful capabilities like private connectivity, peering, and deterministic routing are now basically invisible to them, with a high barrier to entry and an interface stuck in the telco era. At the same time, our software-driven world is getting more complex and fragmented right alongside a rapid increase in the value of connected, data-aware global experiences.
-
-We think developers need networking superpowers to build the best version of the future and connect securely with the partners, providers, applications, and customers that help them win. Our mission is to make it happen.
+TBA

src/content/handbook/company/how-you-can-help.md

@@ -7,27 +7,25 @@ updatedDate: May 21, 2025
 authors: jacob
 ---
 
-### 
-
-**If you're a developer or infrastructure operator:**
+## If you're a developer or infrastructure operator
 - Try our open source tools and give us feedback
 - Contribute to our repositories
 - Share your infrastructure challenges with us
 - Join our community discussions
 
-**If you're building an AI-native company:**
+## If you're building an AI-native company
 - Partner with us as a design partner
 - Connect us with others facing similar challenges
 - Help us understand your infrastructure needs
 - Consider Datum for your networking requirements
 
-**If you're a technology provider:**
+## If you're a technology provider
 - Explore partnership opportunities
 - Join our neutral marketplace
 - Contribute to our open source ecosystem
 - Help us serve mutual customers
 
-**If you're interested in joining the team:**
+## If you're interested in joining the team
 - Check out our open positions
 - Contribute to our open source projects
 - Engage with our community

src/content/handbook/company/our-ai-strategy.md

@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ authors: jacob
 
 We're not just building for the current internet - we're building the internet that AI needs.
 
-## AI is changing everything:
+## AI is changing everything
 - **Complexity explosion** - AI workloads are more distributed, data-intensive, and performance-sensitive
 - **New interfaces** - AI agents need programmatic, reasoning-friendly interfaces to infrastructure
 - **Ecosystem importance** - AI leaders win by orchestrating powerful ecosystems, not building everything themselves
 - **Global requirements** - AI services need to run everywhere with deterministic performance
 
-## How we're building for AI:**
+## How we're building for AI
 - **AI-native interfaces** - Our platform speaks the language of modern AI systems and agents
 - **Intelligent routing** - AI-driven traffic optimization and policy enforcement
 - **Ecosystem orchestration** - Seamless connection between AI providers, cloud platforms, and enterprise customers

src/content/handbook/company/our-neutral-strategy.md

@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ authors: jacob
 
 Unlike hyperscale clouds that want to lock you into their ecosystem, we're building Datum to be genuinely neutral. We succeed when our ecosystem partners succeed.
 
-**What neutral means:**
+## What neutral means
 - **No margin stacking** - We use transparent, rebill-style commercial models
 - **Partner-first mindset** - We're designed to amplify your differentiation, not compete with it
 - **Open ecosystem** - We connect providers with their unique ecosystem advantage
 - **Technology agnostic** - We support diverse technology partners and their channels
 
-**Why neutrality is our strategy:**
+## Why neutrality is our strategy
 - The market needs a "Switzerland" for digital infrastructure
 - Providers need a place to collaborate without competitive dynamics
 - Innovation happens when different technologies can work together seamlessly

src/content/handbook/company/our-open-source-strategy.md

@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ authors: jacob
 
 We're building Datum Cloud as open source with AGPLv3 licensing because we believe transparency and community are essential for infrastructure that people depend on. 
 
-**Why open source matters for us:**
+## Why open source matters for us
 - **Trust** - Our customers can see exactly what they're running and how it works
 - **No lock-in** - You can run Datum Cloud anywhere - our cloud, your cloud, or on-premises
 - **Community innovation** - The best solutions come from diverse contributors solving real problems
 - **Neutrality** - Open source reinforces our position as a neutral operator, not a competitor
 
-**Our open source commitment:**
+## Our open source commitment
 - Core Datum Cloud functionality is fully open source
 - Community contributions are welcomed and celebrated
 - Documentation and examples are extensive and maintained

src/content/handbook/company/our-values.md

@@ -7,10 +7,14 @@ updatedDate: May 21, 2025
 authors: jacob
 ---
 
-**We are connectors** — of people, businesses, apps and networks. At our core, we believe in creating bridges where others build walls.
+## We are connectors
+— of people, businesses, apps and networks. At our core, we believe in creating bridges where others build walls.
 
-**We are operators at heart** who know how to get stuff done. We don't just theorize; we build, ship, and scale.
+## We are operators
+at heart who know how to get stuff done. We don't just theorize; we build, ship, and scale.
 
-**We value grit, humility and hunger** - We welcome bold ideas and reject inertia, but also embrace empathy and continuous learning.
+## We value grit, humility and hunger
+We welcome bold ideas and reject inertia, but also embrace empathy and continuous learning.
 
-**We invest in relationships** - We operate with honesty and look for savvy yet humble people who can't help but act like owners.
+## We invest in relationships
+We operate with honesty and look for savvy yet humble people who can't help but act like owners.

src/content/handbook/company/what-are-our-rituals.md

@@ -7,17 +7,17 @@ updatedDate: May 21, 2025
 authors: jacob
 ---
 
-**Weekly rhythms:**
+## Weekly rhythms
 - **Team syncs** - Each small team meets weekly to review progress and plan ahead
 - **Demo Friday** - We show what we've built and celebrate progress
 - **Community office hours** - Regular time for open source contributors and users
 
-**Monthly rhythms:**
+## Monthly rhythms
 - **All-hands** - Company-wide updates and strategic discussions
 - **Customer feedback reviews** - Deep dives into user feedback and feature requests
 - **Ecosystem partner check-ins** - Regular touchbases with key partners
 
-**Quarterly rhythms:**
+## Quarterly rhythms
 - **Planning cycles** - Set goals and priorities for the next quarter
 - **Board meetings** - Review metrics, challenges, and strategic decisions
 - **Team offsites** - In-person time for relationship building and strategic work