Philosophy
The principles that guide how we build. These aren't just words on a page—they're how we make decisions every day.
Core principles
Simplicity over complexity
The best tools are the ones you don't have to think about. We obsess over removing complexity, not adding features. Every line of code, every API endpoint, every UI element is questioned.
Developer experience first
Every decision starts with 'how does this help developers?' Great DX isn't a feature—it's the foundation. We build for developers because we are developers.
Reliability is non-negotiable
Email is critical infrastructure. We treat every email like it matters, because it does. Your password reset, your invoice, your welcome email—they all need to arrive.
Transparency always
No hidden fees, no surprise limits, no black boxes. We're upfront about everything—pricing, limitations, and how things work under the hood.
Speed matters
Fast APIs, fast support, fast iteration. We respect your time. Our API responds in milliseconds, our support responds in minutes, and we ship improvements weekly.
How we build
- Small team, big impact
- Ship fast, iterate faster
- Dogfood everything
- Listen to users obsessively
- Measure what matters
- Question everything
What we don't do
- We don't add features for the sake of it
- We don't hide behind complexity
- We don't make promises we can't keep
- We don't ignore feedback
- We don't compromise on reliability
- We don't forget why we started
"Email should be simple. We're making it that way."
— The emailr team
Why this matters
Email infrastructure has been unnecessarily complex for too long. Developers have had to deal with confusing APIs, unpredictable pricing, and unreliable delivery. We started emailr because we believed it could be better.
These principles aren't aspirational—they're operational. When we're deciding whether to add a feature, we ask if it makes things simpler. When we're designing an API, we ask if a developer would enjoy using it. When we're setting prices, we ask if they're transparent and fair.
We write these down not because we need to remind ourselves, but because we want you to hold us accountable. If we ever stray from these principles, let us know.
See our philosophy in action
Try emailr and experience what developer-first email infrastructure feels like.