(Draft) Local-first software

The more I build, the more I see a pattern unfolding.

With Receiptly (receipt scanner), I realised just how sensitive something as ordinary as a grocery bill can be. It’s not just numbers, it tells where you shop (which may reveal where you live), what you eat, even habits you might not notice yourself. That’s not the kind of data I’d want floating around.

Then working on a flood prediction project pushed me to think about connectivity. When disasters strike, the Internet is often the first thing to go. An app that only works on fast, stable Wi-Fi isn’t much help when people need it most. However, you don’t need a crisis to feel the pain of no internet; just hop on a UK train or step into the underground.

And then there’s VSCarbon. Here, I didn’t want to intrude. No pre-commit hooks, no GitHub authentication, just a tool that works quietly, without asking for more than it needs.

All these threads naturally point me toward the next quest: local-first apps.

• Work offline first, not as an afterthought.
• Keep data private by default, stored on your own device.
• Sync seamlessly across devices when a connection is available.