RFCs (requests for comments) are a way of soliciting feedback on a proposal from your peers. They allow for asynchronous discussion around a topic, and can also act as a decision record.
You can think of them as PRs for ideas.
Before writing a full RFC, it can be useful to run your thoughts past a few close colleagues. While the purpose of an RFC is to test your ideas, you will get better feedback if you can deal with any immediate issues before presenting something to a wider audience.
Be mindful that you will be asking people to invest their time to read, consider and respond to your proposal. The easier (and quicker) it is to understand what you're proposing, the more likely you are to get useful feedback.
Remember, too, that it is a request for comments, not compliments! People may not agree with your proposal. This is good! This is what you want to know!
When you are ready, provide a clear description of:
- The problem you want to solve
- Why the status quo does not address the problem
- A proposed solution
This will help readers to better understand your rationale.
Comments on Google docs or GitHub discussions are good ways of collecting people's thoughts alongside your original proposal.
An RFC is a request for help – someone is asking for your insight and the benefit of your experience. Be candid but be kind. Ultimately, the aim is to collaborate until collectively, we arrive at the best possible version of the idea.
At the same time, remember you are being asked for help. No one is trying to embarrass you! It’s a test of ideas, not the people who have them. There are no wrong comments – the more contributors to an RFC, the more effective they are.