Operately is an open-source company operating system designed to bring structure and discipline to organizational operations without requiring a COO. Unlike generic tools like Notion or ClickUp that offer unlimited flexibility but no guidance, Operately provides pre-built workflows for OKRs, project check-ins, and team accountability to help growing companies focus on execution rather than management overhead. It integrates goals, projects, documents, and team communication into a unified system with an opinionated structure that enforces consistency across departments.
Built with Elixir and React/TypeScript, Operately targets startups and mid-sized companies struggling with operational chaos. Its architecture emphasizes automation of execution rhythms—like regular check-ins and progress updates—to reduce administrative burden and improve alignment. The platform is self-hosted, with a single-command installation process, making it accessible for technical teams seeking control over their operational infrastructure.
What You Get
- Goals / OKRs - Track company-wide objectives with measurable key results linked directly to tasks and projects, ensuring alignment from leadership to individual contributors.
- Project Management - Manage projects with task boards, milestones, and scheduled check-ins to maintain momentum and visibility across teams.
- AI Executive Coach - Receive strategic operational feedback and guidance from an AI model trained on company goals and progress metrics (early beta).
- Team Spaces - Create isolated, organized workspaces for departments to manage their goals, projects, and documents without cluttering the broader company view.
- Message Boards - Replace scattered email threads with threaded, searchable discussions that preserve context and improve shared understanding.
- Documents & Files - Centralize content creation, storage, and sharing with structured organization and access controls.
- Team Management - Onboard new members, assign roles, and manage permissions to maintain clear accountability across the organization.
- Execution Cadence - Automate recurring check-ins and progress updates to create a consistent rhythm that reduces manual reporting and keeps teams aligned.
Common Use Cases
- Building a scaling startup - A 50-person company using Operately to align engineering, marketing, and sales teams on quarterly OKRs while reducing status meeting overhead through automated check-ins.
- Managing remote hybrid teams - A distributed team replacing Slack threads and Google Docs with structured Message Boards and Team Spaces to improve documentation and accountability.
- Problem: Sporadic goal tracking → Solution: Operately - Teams struggled with forgotten initiatives and misaligned priorities; after adopting Operately’s built-in OKR cadence, goal completion rates increased by 40% in three months.
- DevOps teams managing cross-functional initiatives - Infrastructure and product teams use shared Project Boards and Team Spaces to coordinate releases, track dependencies, and document runbooks in one system.
Under The Hood
Operately is a full-stack web application designed for collaborative workspace management, combining Elixir/Phoenix on the backend with a TypeScript/React frontend. The system emphasizes component reusability, modular architecture, and seamless API integration to support scalable and maintainable development.
Architecture
The project follows a monolithic structure with clear separation between frontend and backend, enabling a layered approach to code organization.
- The architecture uses a layered pattern that separates API, business logic, and UI components for improved maintainability.
- Modules are organized into feature directories with well-defined responsibilities, promoting modularity and reduced coupling.
- Design patterns such as component composition and API client abstraction are consistently applied across the codebase.
- Data flow is managed through props and context patterns, ensuring predictable behavior in UI interactions.
Tech Stack
The tech stack reflects a modern, full-stack approach with Elixir backend and React/TypeScript frontend.
- Built primarily with Elixir for backend services and TypeScript/JavaScript for the frontend, leveraging React as the UI framework.
- Relies on a rich ecosystem including Radix UI, Tailwind CSS, ProseMirror, and utility libraries like date-fns and axios.
- Development tools include Vite for builds, Jest for testing, Knip for dependency management, and Prettier for formatting.
- Testing is supported by Jest and Storybook, enabling both unit and component-driven development practices.
Code Quality
The codebase presents a mixed quality profile with strengths in testing and error handling, but some areas show technical debt.
- Comprehensive test coverage is evident across key components and user flows, with Jest configured for robust unit testing.
- Error handling is consistently implemented using try/catch blocks and custom error propagation mechanisms.
- Code consistency varies, with some deviations in naming and architectural patterns observed across modules.
- Technical debt is present in duplicated logic and over-reliance on global state, affecting long-term maintainability.
What Makes It Unique
Operately distinguishes itself through its integration of Elixir backend with a modular frontend architecture.
- Combines live view interactions with a highly customizable component system for rich, real-time collaborative experiences.
- Emphasizes extensibility and design system consistency to support diverse workspace customization needs.
- Integrates seamlessly with modern UI libraries and rich text editing tools to enhance user experience.