Public dossier section · @ben
sources
This is @ben's profile revision 1. The original date and editorial confidence below are attributed to its publisher, not independent verification.
Original credited author: Hraness
AI-drafted at Ben Guo's direct request and credited to Hraness; every claim links to its cataloged source.
Back to the full profile · Markdown version · Original document
Published text
- zeta model + dataset on hf — huggingface.co (2025-02, repo). zeta model + dataset on hf
- beta hn thread — hacker news (2023-03, community). beta hn thread; business-model q&a ("charge for backend service")
- qcon sf unveiling — infoq.com (2017-11, reporting). qcon sf unveiling; webrtc + crdt details
- ~50 synthetic claude examples — itsfoss.com (2025-02, reporting). ~50 synthetic claude examples; opt-in telemetry detail
- 30-40 employees — linkedin (2026-09, reference). 30-40 employees; $44.9m total; la hq claim; 12-country distribution; revenue estimate (unreliable)
- announcement discussion — lobsters (2022-06, community). announcement discussion; waitlist-only noted
- third-party 1 — medium (2026-04, community). third-party 1.0 retrospective; trajectory recap
- podrocket ep w/ mikayla maki on zed 1 — mu.social (2026, interview). podrocket ep w/ mikayla maki on zed 1.0
- butler: lead designer jul 2021–aug 2025 — linkedin (2026-09, reference). butler: lead designer jul 2021–aug 2025
- open-source coverage — phoronix.com (2024-01-24, reporting). open-source coverage; services-business rationale
- series a — prweb.com (2023-03-15, repo). series a; angel names; "successful alpha"; patrick chase quote; sf dateline
- redpoint post — redpoint.com (2023-03, reporting). redpoint post; "9.3% of engineers" atom stat; "code at the speed of thought"
- acp coverage — theregister.com (2025-08-28, reporting). acp coverage; json-rpc over stdio
- contemporary discussion — users.rust-lang.org (2018, community). contemporary discussion; rgasplit crdt note
- 150k active developers each month (self-reported) — sequoiacap.com (2025-08-20, reporting). "150k active developers each month" (self-reported); sequoia rationale
- willisons analysis — simonwillison.net, simon willison (2024-08-20, community). willison's analysis; fast edit mode note
- sobo on syntax: rust, gpui, deltadb/delta — syntax.fm (2026, interview). sobo on syntax: rust, gpui, deltadb/delta
- sunset coverage — techcrunch (2022-06-08, reporting). sunset coverage; notes brunsfeld's new-editor effort
- series a details — techcrunch (2023-03-15, reporting). series a details; sobo founding quote; $40m val; $12.5m total
- teletype beta — github.blog, antonio scandurra (2017-11-15, primary). teletype beta; author scandurra
- ball bio (amp co-founder) — thorstenball.com (2026-09, reference). ball bio (amp co-founder)
- ball departure post — linkedin (2025-01, community). ball departure post; zed tenure jan 2024–jan 2025
- third-party delta coverage — thenewstack.io (2026-09-16, reporting). third-party delta coverage; recap of funding
- tree-sitter initial commit — github (2013-11-06, repo). tree-sitter initial commit
- feldman interviews sobo (pre-zed-employment) — shows.acast.com (2024-05-04, interview). feldman interviews sobo (pre-zed-employment)
- atom dates cross-check (26 feb 2014 release) — wikipedia (2026-09, reference). atom dates cross-check (26 feb 2014 release; archived 15 dec 2022)
- 2018 release) — wikipedia (2026-09, reference). 2018 release; adoption list; github semantic usage
- client/server architecture switch, by nathansobo — github, nathan sobo (2018-03-16, repo). client/server architecture switch, by nathansobo
- github has decided not to move forward — github (2018, repo). "github has decided not to move forward"; memo subproject; update log
- memo = crdt vcs at keystroke level — github (2018-05-28, repo). memo = crdt vcs at keystroke level
- tree-sitter – a new parsing system for programming tools talk — youtube (2018-10-14, reporting). "tree-sitter – a new parsing system for programming tools" talk
- first public demo — youtube (2022-05-05, reporting). first public demo; "private alpha in the coming weeks"
- zed 1 — zed.dev, nathan sobo (2026-04-29, primary). zed 1.0; >1m loc; daily-user claim; acp agent list incl. cursor
- metal pipeline 120 fps (sobo + scandurra) — zed.dev (2024-02-07, primary). metal pipeline 120 fps (sobo + scandurra)
- vision manifesto + investor list (seed: root, v1 — zed.dev (2026-09-16, primary). vision manifesto + investor list (seed: root, v1.vc, matchstick; a&b: redpoint, sequoia)
- acp + gemini cli — zed.dev (2025-08-27, primary). acp + gemini cli; google approached zed
- acp registry — zed.dev (2026-01-28, primary). acp registry
- agents as extensions — zed.dev (2025-11-06, primary). agents as extensions
- agent metrics — zed.dev (2026-04-09, primary). agent metrics
- zed ai launch — zed.dev (2024-08-20, primary). zed ai launch; anthropic collab; claude 3.5 sonnet; prompt caching
- usage-based billing for high-volume users — zed.dev (2024-10-17, primary). usage-based billing for high-volume users
- irwin: token pass-through economics — zed.dev, conrad irwin (2026-05-05, primary). irwin: token pass-through economics; long-term = deltadb monetization
- assistant panel intro — zed.dev (2023-06-28, primary). assistant panel intro; "text is the ultimate user interface"
- public beta post — zed.dev, nathan sobo (2023-03-15, primary). public beta post; "baby to leave the nest"
- ball × founders on the rewrite decision — zed.dev, thorsten ball (2024-01-23, primary). ball × founders on the rewrite decision
- full dated blog index used for timeline cross-checks — zed.dev (2026-09-16, primary). full dated blog index used for timeline cross-checks
- zed for business launch — zed.dev (2026-05-06, primary). zed for business launch
- channels launch (irwin) — zed.dev (2024-01-17, primary). channels launch (irwin)
- claude code beta in zed — zed.dev (2025-09-03, primary). claude code beta in zed
- codex via acp — zed.dev (2025-10-16, primary). codex via acp
- community program — zed.dev (2026-06-02, primary). community program
- sobo essay — zed.dev (2025-06-12, primary). sobo essay
- first blog post — zed.dev, nathan sobo (2022-12-01, primary). first blog post; "16 years ago… 135k lines of rust"; engelbart framing
- delta private beta — zed.dev, nathan sobo (2026-08-12, primary). delta private beta
- delta public beta — zed.dev, nathan sobo (2026-09-16, primary). delta public beta; prs off on own repo; "race to replace github"; 33 people/570 changes; free-during-beta
- deltadb detail — zed.dev, nathan sobo (2026-06-11, primary). deltadb detail; "founded zed to move beyond the constraints of commits"; first spoke fall 2025
- install script — zed.dev (2026-09, primary). install script; vulkan requirement; packaging notes
- free pro year for students — zed.dev (2026-03-09, primary). free pro year for students; student-hire names
- multi-provider edit predictions (zeta, mercury, sweep, ollama, codestral, copilot nes) — zed.dev (2026-02-04, primary). multi-provider edit predictions (zeta, mercury, sweep, ollama, codestral, copilot nes)
- wasm/wit extension architecture — zed.dev (2024-10-21, primary). wasm/wit extension architecture; registry repo flow
- release channels — zed.dev (2026-09, primary). release channels; revenue = pro subscriptions
- native git — zed.dev (2025-03-12, primary). native git
- gpui ownership/data flow (sobo) — zed.dev (2024-01-25, primary). gpui ownership/data flow (sobo)
- gpui 2 in production — zed.dev (2024-01-03, primary). gpui 2 in production
- zed guild experiment retrospective — zed.dev (2026-06-16, primary). zed guild experiment retrospective
- hiring-from-contributors program — zed.dev (2025-09-16, primary). hiring-from-contributors program
- introducing zed manifesto landing page — wayback machine, nathan sobo (2022-06-08, archive). "introducing zed" manifesto landing page; waitlist era
- gpui-component ecosystem spotlight — zed.dev (2026-04-27, primary). gpui-component ecosystem spotlight
- jetbrains acp collaboration — zed.dev (2025-10-06, primary). jetbrains acp collaboration
- weve decided to open source zed… on zed — zed.dev, nathan sobo (2023-06-14, primary). "we've decided to open source zed… on zed"
- gpl/agpl/apache-2 split — zed.dev, nathan sobo (2024-01-24, primary). gpl/agpl/apache-2 split; fireside hacks; banner-ad pledge
- plan matrix incl — zed.dev (2026-09, primary). plan matrix incl. student; trial mechanics
- pro $10/mo — zed.dev (2026-09-16, primary). pro $10/mo; business $30/seat/mo; 25+ seat order forms
- ssh remoting — zed.dev (2024-10-30, primary). ssh remoting
- definitive atom→zed postmortem interview — zed.dev, thorsten ball (2024-02-12, interview). definitive atom→zed postmortem interview; sobo's 2017 moment; pathfinder/sdf detours
- brunsfeld on tree-sitter in zed — zed.dev, max brunsfeld (2023-03-27, primary). brunsfeld on tree-sitter in zed
- official bios + roster (~40 people) — zed.dev (2026-09-16, primary). official bios + roster (~40 people)
- sobos full founding narrative (xray→2019→warp→mar 2022 dogfood) — zed.dev, nathan sobo (2023-01-23, primary). sobo's full founding narrative (xray→2019→warp→mar 2022 dogfood)
- windows stable — zed.dev, max brunsfeld (2025-10-15, primary). windows stable; dx11; @localcc platform lead
- worktree trust — zed.dev (2025-12-17, primary). worktree trust; security posture (swanson + bulatov)
Original source occurrences
- zeta model + dataset on hf · huggingface.co · 2025-02 (month) · original ID: src-hp-hf-zeta · Other public citations of this URL
zeta model + dataset on hf
- beta hn thread · hacker news · 2023-03 (month) · original ID: src-hp-hn-beta · Other public citations of this URL
beta hn thread; business-model q&a ("charge for backend service")
- qcon sf unveiling · infoq.com · 2017-11 (month) · original ID: src-hp-infoq-teletype · Other public citations of this URL
qcon sf unveiling; webrtc + crdt details
- ~50 synthetic claude examples · itsfoss.com · 2025-02 (month) · original ID: src-hp-itsfoss-zeta · Other public citations of this URL
~50 synthetic claude examples; opt-in telemetry detail
- 30-40 employees · linkedin · 2026-09 (month) · original ID: src-hp-linkedin-zed · Other public citations of this URL
30-40 employees; $44.9m total; la hq claim; 12-country distribution; revenue estimate (unreliable)
- announcement discussion · lobsters · 2022-06 (month) · original ID: src-hp-lobsters-intro · Other public citations of this URL
announcement discussion; waitlist-only noted
- third-party 1 · medium · 2026-04 (month) · original ID: src-hp-medium-10-essay · Other public citations of this URL
third-party 1.0 retrospective; trajectory recap
- podrocket ep w/ mikayla maki on zed 1 · mu.social · 2026 (year) · original ID: src-hp-mu-podrocket · Other public citations of this URL
podrocket ep w/ mikayla maki on zed 1.0
- butler: lead designer jul 2021–aug 2025 · linkedin · 2026-09 (month) · original ID: src-hp-nate-linkedin · Other public citations of this URL
butler: lead designer jul 2021–aug 2025
- open-source coverage · phoronix.com · 2024-01-24 (day) · original ID: src-hp-phoronix-oss · Other public citations of this URL
open-source coverage; services-business rationale
- series a · prweb.com · 2023-03-15 (day) · original ID: src-hp-prweb-series-a · Other public citations of this URL
series a; angel names; "successful alpha"; patrick chase quote; sf dateline
- redpoint post · redpoint.com · 2023-03 (month) · original ID: src-hp-redpoint-fresh-ink · Other public citations of this URL
redpoint post; "9.3% of engineers" atom stat; "code at the speed of thought"
- acp coverage · theregister.com · 2025-08-28 (day) · original ID: src-hp-register-acp · Other public citations of this URL
acp coverage; json-rpc over stdio
- contemporary discussion · users.rust-lang.org · 2018 (year) · original ID: src-hp-rustlang-xray · Other public citations of this URL
contemporary discussion; rgasplit crdt note
- 150k active developers each month (self-reported) · sequoiacap.com · 2025-08-20 (day) · original ID: src-hp-sequoia-partnering · Other public citations of this URL
"150k active developers each month" (self-reported); sequoia rationale
- willisons analysis · simonwillison.net · 2024-08-20 (day) · original ID: src-hp-simonw-zedai · Other public citations of this URL · simon willison
willison's analysis; fast edit mode note
- sobo on syntax: rust, gpui, deltadb/delta · syntax.fm · 2026 (year) · original ID: src-hp-syntax-1029 · Other public citations of this URL
sobo on syntax: rust, gpui, deltadb/delta
- sunset coverage · techcrunch · 2022-06-08 (day) · original ID: src-hp-tc-atom-sunset · Other public citations of this URL
sunset coverage; notes brunsfeld's new-editor effort
- series a details · techcrunch · 2023-03-15 (day) · original ID: src-hp-techcrunch-10m · Other public citations of this URL
series a details; sobo founding quote; $40m val; $12.5m total
- teletype beta · github.blog · 2017-11-15 (day) · original ID: src-hp-teletype · Other public citations of this URL · antonio scandurra
teletype beta; author scandurra
- ball bio (amp co-founder) · thorstenball.com · 2026-09 (month) · original ID: src-hp-thorsten-about · Other public citations of this URL
ball bio (amp co-founder)
- ball departure post · linkedin · 2025-01 (month) · original ID: src-hp-thorsten-linkedin · Other public citations of this URL
ball departure post; zed tenure jan 2024–jan 2025
- third-party delta coverage · thenewstack.io · 2026-09-16 (day) · original ID: src-hp-tns-delta · Other public citations of this URL
third-party delta coverage; recap of funding
- tree-sitter initial commit · github · 2013-11-06 (day) · original ID: src-hp-ts-commit · Other public citations of this URL
tree-sitter initial commit
- feldman interviews sobo (pre-zed-employment) · shows.acast.com · 2024-05-04 (day) · original ID: src-hp-unscripted-90 · Other public citations of this URL
feldman interviews sobo (pre-zed-employment)
- atom dates cross-check (26 feb 2014 release · wikipedia · 2026-09 (month) · original ID: src-hp-wiki-atom · Other public citations of this URL
atom dates cross-check (26 feb 2014 release; archived 15 dec 2022)
- 2018 release · wikipedia · 2026-09 (month) · original ID: src-hp-wiki-treesitter · Other public citations of this URL
2018 release; adoption list; github semantic usage
- client/server architecture switch, by nathansobo · github · 2018-03-16 (day) · original ID: src-hp-xray-pr46 · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
client/server architecture switch, by nathansobo
- github has decided not to move forward · github · 2018 (year) · original ID: src-hp-xray-readme · Other public citations of this URL
"github has decided not to move forward"; memo subproject; update log
- memo = crdt vcs at keystroke level · github · 2018-05-28 (day) · original ID: src-hp-xray-update · Other public citations of this URL
memo = crdt vcs at keystroke level
- tree-sitter – a new parsing system for programming tools talk · youtube · 2018-10-14 (day) · original ID: src-hp-yt-ts-talk · Other public citations of this URL
"tree-sitter – a new parsing system for programming tools" talk
- first public demo · youtube · 2022-05-05 (day) · original ID: src-hp-yt-zed-demo · Other public citations of this URL
first public demo; "private alpha in the coming weeks"
- zed 1 · zed.dev · 2026-04-29 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-10 · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
zed 1.0; >1m loc; daily-user claim; acp agent list incl. cursor
- metal pipeline 120 fps (sobo + scandurra) · zed.dev · 2024-02-07 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-120fps · Other public citations of this URL
metal pipeline 120 fps (sobo + scandurra)
- vision manifesto + investor list (seed: root, v1 · zed.dev · 2026-09-16 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-about · Other public citations of this URL
vision manifesto + investor list (seed: root, v1.vc, matchstick; a&b: redpoint, sequoia)
- acp + gemini cli · zed.dev · 2025-08-27 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-acp · Other public citations of this URL
acp + gemini cli; google approached zed
- acp registry · zed.dev · 2026-01-28 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-acp-registry · Other public citations of this URL
acp registry
- agents as extensions · zed.dev · 2025-11-06 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-agent-ext · Other public citations of this URL
agents as extensions
- agent metrics · zed.dev · 2026-04-09 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-agent-metrics · Other public citations of this URL
agent metrics
- zed ai launch · zed.dev · 2024-08-20 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-ai · Other public citations of this URL
zed ai launch; anthropic collab; claude 3.5 sonnet; prompt caching
- usage-based billing for high-volume users · zed.dev · 2024-10-17 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-ai-billing · Other public citations of this URL
usage-based billing for high-volume users
- irwin: token pass-through economics · zed.dev · 2026-05-05 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-ai-money · Other public citations of this URL · conrad irwin
irwin: token pass-through economics; long-term = deltadb monetization
- assistant panel intro · zed.dev · 2023-06-28 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-assistant · Other public citations of this URL
assistant panel intro; "text is the ultimate user interface"
- public beta post · zed.dev · 2023-03-15 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-beta · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
public beta post; "baby to leave the nest"
- ball × founders on the rewrite decision · zed.dev · 2024-01-23 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-big-rewrite · Other public citations of this URL · thorsten ball
ball × founders on the rewrite decision
- full dated blog index used for timeline cross-checks · zed.dev · 2026-09-16 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-blog-index · Other public citations of this URL
full dated blog index used for timeline cross-checks
- zed for business launch · zed.dev · 2026-05-06 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-business · Other public citations of this URL
zed for business launch
- channels launch (irwin) · zed.dev · 2024-01-17 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-channels · Other public citations of this URL
channels launch (irwin)
- claude code beta in zed · zed.dev · 2025-09-03 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-claude-code · Other public citations of this URL
claude code beta in zed
- codex via acp · zed.dev · 2025-10-16 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-codex · Other public citations of this URL
codex via acp
- community program · zed.dev · 2026-06-02 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-community-champions · Other public citations of this URL
community program
- sobo essay · zed.dev · 2025-06-12 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-craftsmanship · Other public citations of this URL
sobo essay
- first blog post · zed.dev · 2022-12-01 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-crdts · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
first blog post; "16 years ago… 135k lines of rust"; engelbart framing
- delta private beta · zed.dev · 2026-08-12 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-delta · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
delta private beta
- delta public beta · zed.dev · 2026-09-16 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-delta-public · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
delta public beta; prs off on own repo; "race to replace github"; 33 people/570 changes; free-during-beta
- deltadb detail · zed.dev · 2026-06-11 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-deltadb · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
deltadb detail; "founded zed to move beyond the constraints of commits"; first spoke fall 2025
- install script · zed.dev · 2026-09 (month) · original ID: src-hp-zed-docs-linux · Other public citations of this URL
install script; vulkan requirement; packaging notes
- free pro year for students · zed.dev · 2026-03-09 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-education · Other public citations of this URL
free pro year for students; student-hire names
- multi-provider edit predictions (zeta, mercury, sweep, ollama, codestral, copilot nes) · zed.dev · 2026-02-04 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-ep-providers · Other public citations of this URL
multi-provider edit predictions (zeta, mercury, sweep, ollama, codestral, copilot nes)
- wasm/wit extension architecture · zed.dev · 2024-10-21 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-extensions-decoded · Other public citations of this URL
wasm/wit extension architecture; registry repo flow
- release channels · zed.dev · 2026-09 (month) · original ID: src-hp-zed-faq · Other public citations of this URL
release channels; revenue = pro subscriptions
- native git · zed.dev · 2025-03-12 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-git · Other public citations of this URL
native git
- gpui ownership/data flow (sobo) · zed.dev · 2024-01-25 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-gpui-ownership · Other public citations of this URL
gpui ownership/data flow (sobo)
- gpui 2 in production · zed.dev · 2024-01-03 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-gpui2 · Other public citations of this URL
gpui 2 in production
- zed guild experiment retrospective · zed.dev · 2026-06-16 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-guild · Other public citations of this URL
zed guild experiment retrospective
- hiring-from-contributors program · zed.dev · 2025-09-16 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-hired-gh1 · Other public citations of this URL
hiring-from-contributors program
- introducing zed manifesto landing page · wayback machine · 2022-06-08 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-introducing-2022 · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
"introducing zed" manifesto landing page; waitlist era
- gpui-component ecosystem spotlight · zed.dev · 2026-04-27 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-jason-lee · Other public citations of this URL
gpui-component ecosystem spotlight
- jetbrains acp collaboration · zed.dev · 2025-10-06 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-jetbrains-acp · Other public citations of this URL
jetbrains acp collaboration
- weve decided to open source zed… on zed · zed.dev · 2023-06-14 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-open-source-on-zed · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
"we've decided to open source zed… on zed"
- gpl/agpl/apache-2 split · zed.dev · 2024-01-24 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-oss · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
gpl/agpl/apache-2 split; fireside hacks; banner-ad pledge
- plan matrix incl · zed.dev · 2026-09 (month) · original ID: src-hp-zed-plans-docs · Other public citations of this URL
plan matrix incl. student; trial mechanics
- pro $10/mo · zed.dev · 2026-09-16 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-pricing · Other public citations of this URL
pro $10/mo; business $30/seat/mo; 25+ seat order forms
- ssh remoting · zed.dev · 2024-10-30 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-remote · Other public citations of this URL
ssh remoting
- definitive atom→zed postmortem interview · zed.dev · 2024-02-12 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-start-over · Other public citations of this URL · thorsten ball
definitive atom→zed postmortem interview; sobo's 2017 moment; pathfinder/sdf detours
- brunsfeld on tree-sitter in zed · zed.dev · 2023-03-27 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-syntax-aware · Other public citations of this URL · max brunsfeld
brunsfeld on tree-sitter in zed
- official bios + roster (~40 people) · zed.dev · 2026-09-16 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-team · Other public citations of this URL
official bios + roster (~40 people)
- sobos full founding narrative (xray→2019→warp→mar 2022 dogfood) · zed.dev · 2023-01-23 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-week1 · Other public citations of this URL · nathan sobo
sobo's full founding narrative (xray→2019→warp→mar 2022 dogfood)
- windows stable · zed.dev · 2025-10-15 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-windows · Other public citations of this URL · max brunsfeld
windows stable; dx11; @localcc platform lead
- worktree trust · zed.dev · 2025-12-17 (day) · original ID: src-hp-zed-worktree-trust · Other public citations of this URL
worktree trust; security posture (swanson + bulatov)