Read how we build Heed in the open.

• The design. We design the case in code and post the renders, the dimensions and what we have not verified yet in the build log. We plan to publish the CAD source files; the date and the licence are not decided.
• Decisions. Every poll we run, its options and their costs, the result with counts, and what we did about it.
• The build log. A dated update every two weeks, with the date of the next one, so you can hold us to it.
• Test results. Battery life, recording time and audio quality by wear position, as we measure them on our own bench, including the numbers we do not like.
• Mistakes. When a part does not fit, a board spin fails or a date slips, we say so in the build log with what we changed.
• Idea statuses. Every status change on the idea board carries a public, dated reason.

• Supplier names and exact part costs, until contracts are signed. Naming a supplier early can cost us the deal.
• The final price. We plan $149 for the device and about $12 a month for Pro features, but the unit cost is not real yet. We will not quote a final price until it is, and we will say here when it changes.
• A ship date for paying customers. The beta is planned for early 2027. We will not promise a sale date before the design is verified.
• Your personal data. Other members never see your email, your answers to the beta questions or your country. Member pages show only a display name, badges, the month you joined, and your public ideas and comments.
• Security problems, until they are fixed. Then we publish what happened.

• Your files are yours without an account. Plug Heed into a computer and copy the audio and transcripts over USB-C in open formats.
• We never train models on your audio.
• The free tier is written down and stays. Transcripts, speaker labels, search and export are free. We will publish the full free tier before the first unit ships, and whatever is free when you get your device stays free for you.
• Retention in days. Before the app launches we will publish how long we keep each kind of data, in days. We have not set those periods yet.
• If the company is sold or closes, you get 12 months notice and an export of everything, and we release the sync protocol so your device keeps working with other software.
• Reservations are not purchases. We take no money for a beta place. If we ever take a deposit, it will be refundable, and the terms will be here first.

This community exists to build a better recorder. Keep it useful and kind.

• Be specific. Say what you need and why. "I lose recordings when my phone is in another room" helps more than "sync is bad".
• Disagree with ideas, not people. No personal attacks, harassment, or slurs.
• Keep other people's details private. Do not post anyone's contact details, recordings or conversations without their consent.
• No spam or self-promotion. One idea per request. Search before you post; we merge duplicates and keep your vote.
• Say who you are. If you work for a company in this market, say so when it matters.

Admins can hide a post or comment and say why, mute an account for a while, or close it for repeated or serious breaches. Use the report button on any idea or comment; admins see your report and your name, other members do not.

• Every poll is labelled before it opens. Binding means we follow the result; we use it for choices that are cheap to change and inside our control, with the cost of each option shown. Advisory means the result informs a decision that also needs prototype tests or costs we do not know yet, such as the form factor.
• One vote per member, and votes are final. Results stay hidden until you vote or the poll closes, so early numbers do not steer later votes.
• Each poll states its closing date. We do not close early except to fix a mistake, and then we explain it.
• We publish the outcome. After a poll closes we post what we decided and why. If we do not follow a binding result, we say so at the top of the poll with the reason, before we act.
• Ties. If a binding poll ties, the team picks between the tied options and publishes why.
• Ideas. Statuses move from open to under review, planned, building and shipped, or to not now. Every change carries a reason. Duplicates merge into one idea with each member's vote counted once.

• By mix, not by queue. We want people across different kinds of work, countries and current devices, so we pick against the answers to the beta questions.
• By contribution. Thoughtful ideas, comments and poll votes count. Volume does not.
• Never by referrals or sign-up order. There is no queue position to climb.
• A deadline, not a race. If we pick you, we email you with a date to confirm by. If we do not pick you this time, your place stays saved for later batches.
• No gag order. You can talk about your own experience with Heed. If we ever ask for confidentiality, it covers unreleased firmware only.
• Undecided: whether units go out on loan or at cost. We will tell you before you commit to anything.