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Elena Marsh
All work

PipewiseOpen source

An open source tool that makes deploy pipelines readable

A command line tool that turns sprawling CI configuration into clear, testable pipelines, now used by thousands of teams.

Client
Pipewise
Industry
Developer tools
Role
Creator and maintainer
Year
2023
Duration
Ongoing

Built with

  • Go
  • GitHub Actions
  • Docker
  • YAML

Scope

  • Developer tools
  • CLI design
  • Documentation
  • Community
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A developer typing at a desk in front of a monitor showing code in a dark editor
Stars on GitHub
6k+
Repositories using it
3,000+
Average pipeline configuration size
-55%

The challenge

Every team I worked with had the same problem: deploy pipelines written in hundreds of lines of YAML that nobody dared to touch. A single typo could take production down, and there was no way to test a change before merging it.

The approach

Pipewise started as a weekend project to scratch my own itch and grew into a tool I maintain with a small group of contributors.

  • A small, typed configuration format that compiles to the CI provider's own YAML.
  • A local runner, so you can test a pipeline on your laptop before you push.
  • Clear error messages that point to the exact line and suggest a fix.

The outcome

Pipewise has passed 6,000 stars on GitHub and runs in more than 3,000 repositories. Several teams report cutting their pipeline configuration by more than half.