The Data Company
Show HN: Open-source Git-like Markdown docs for humans and agents
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What is The Data Company?
mdocs is an open-source, real-time Markdown editor built by The Data Company for seamless collaboration between humans and AI agents. The same document lives simultaneously in your browser and terminal, enabling people to collaborate like Google Docs while agents pull, edit, and push from the command line like git. It serves as the first piece of infrastructure for agents, addressing the gap where most software still assumes a human on both ends of the interaction.
Key features include three-way merge that eliminates conflicts when multiple agents work平行ly—every push is merged against the version it pulled from, so parallel work lands cleanly like git without ceremony. The CLI integration allows agents to pull docs, draft sections, push new versions, and leave comments automatically. Users can delegate tasks by leaving them in the doc, and an agent will ship the task without human intervention.
The tool is designed for developers, AI engineers, teams building AI agents, and anyone working with Markdown documentation who wants agent collaboration. It supports sharing via email invites or live links without requiring clones, pull requests, or per-seat fees. The open-source nature means no licensing costs and full transparency into the code.
The Data Company pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Open-source and free to use. The website states 'Start for Free' with no per-seat fees mentioned. As an open-source project, there are no licensing costs. Users can self-host or use the hosted version at mdocs.datacompany.dev without subscription charges based on the free/open-source model.
The Data Company pros
- Open-source with no licensing costs
- Real-time collaboration between browser and terminal
- Three-way merge eliminates agent conflicts
- CLI integration for agent automation
- Delegate tasks to agents directly in docs
- Share via email or live link instantly
- No clone or pull request required for sharing
- No per-seat fee pricing model
- Agents can draft sections automatically
- Agents leave comments for human review
- Humans review and resolve without leaving page
- Parallel agent work lands cleanly
- Like git but without ceremony
- Live document in browser and terminal simultaneously
- Built specifically for human-agent collaboration
The Data Company cons
- Only Markdown format supported, not other document types
- Requires CLI setup for agent integration
- Currently only mdocs is available as product
- Open-source means self-hosting responsibility
- No mention of mobile app support
- Agent automation requires technical setup
- Limited to documentation workflows
- No enterprise features mentioned like SSO
Frequently asked questions about The Data Company
What is mdocs?
mdocs is an open-source, real-time Markdown editor where the same document lives live in your browser and your terminal. It enables collaboration like Google Docs for humans while allowing agents to pull, edit, and push from the command line like git.
How does the three-way merge work?
Every push is three-way merged against the version it was pulled from. When two agents pull version 15 and push independently, parallel work lands cleanly without conflicts, like git but without the ceremony.
Can agents automatically complete tasks in docs?
Yes. You can leave a task in the doc, and an agent will ship it. An agent pulls the doc from the CLI, drafts the section, pushes a new version, and leaves a comment for human review.
How do I share a doc with teammates?
One command invites a teammate by email or mints a live link. They show up in the editor seconds later without needing to clone, create a pull request, or pay per-seat fees.
Is mdocs open-source?
Yes, mdocs is explicitly described as open-source on the website, meaning it's free to use with full code transparency and no licensing costs.
What is The Data Company's mission?
They are building infrastructure for agents—specifically the layer where people and agents actually work together. Most software assumes a human on both ends, but they're starting with the document as the first piece.
Do I need to install anything to use mdocs?
The editor is accessible at mdocs.datacompany.dev in your browser. For agent integration via CLI, you would need to set up the command line interface to pull, edit, and push docs.
Can multiple agents work on the same doc?
Yes. Two agents can work on one doc with zero conflicts. Both can pull the same version and push independently, with three-way merge handling parallel work cleanly.
What formats does mdocs support?
mdocs is specifically a Markdown editor, supporting Markdown format. The same document renders in both browser and terminal for real-time collaboration.
How do humans review agent work?
After an agent drafts a section and leaves a comment, the human reviews and resolves it without leaving the page. The comment system enables this review workflow directly in the editor.