Today, the delicate balance between convenience and control over personal data has become increasingly complex. The cloud-first paradigm, with its promises of seamless access and effortless sharing across devices, has long held sway. However, mounting concerns surrounding data privacy, security breaches, and the pervasive influence of surveillance capitalism have spurred a resurgence of interest in the “local-first” approach.
To gain insights into this transformative shift, we turn to Ilia Zadiabin, a distinguished figure in the global tech ecosystem, renowned for his expertise in mobile app development and AI-driven solutions. As the founder of Slai, an innovative AI-powered language learning platform, Zadiabin’s influence extends far beyond his entrepreneurial ventures. His contributions to TechBullion, a leading tech news platform, offer valuable perspectives on cutting-edge development practices and industry trends. Furthermore, his role as a judge for prestigious tech events, including the Business Intelligence Group, the Global Startup Awards Africa, and Geekle’s hackathon, underscores his position as a thought leader in the field.
With his profound understanding of both the technical and business facets of the software industry, Ilia provides a unique vantage point from which to examine the resurgence of the local-first movement and its implications for the future of data management and user empowerment.
– First of all, it is a great pleasure to have you as an expert on this topic. It is more than once that I heard there is a shift going on right now from cloud-computing to local-first approach. Doesn’t it seem a bit counterintuitive? Can you tell me more about how we’ve come to this point and why?
Well, yes, you are right, it does sound slightly bewildering. Let me try and explain it a bit. I bet you still remember the times when local storage was the only option. Users saved their documents, photos, and other data directly on their hard drives. This approach offered complete control and offline access. However, the strategy lacked the convenience of anywhere access. Besides, these files were hard to share.
In the 2000s a paradigm shift happened. Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud came on stage and promised seamless synchronisation across devices and effortless sharing. It seemed that the cloud could solve the limitations of local storage, and users eagerly embraced this new paradigm. Naturally, businesses began a massive shift towards cloud infrastructure.
Companies started moving away from maintaining their own data centres and in-house IT solutions, instead opting for cloud services provided by tech giants. Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform became the dominant players in this space.
But as our digital lives became so deeply connected with cloud services, privacy concerns appeared and grew. We began to realise that we no longer truly “own” our data and that the cloud-first approach needs to be reevaluated.
– This is really thrilling and where does this “local-first” idea come from at all?
The concept of local-first software was initially described by Martin Kleppmann in his famous article Local-First Software: You Own Your Data. His point is that local-first software aims to combine the best aspects of both local and cloud computing. It prioritises storing data on the user’s device while still offering the benefits of synchronisation and sharing when needed. As you can guess this approach is in many ways advantageous. First, it enhances privacy as your data resides primarily on your own devices. Secondly, it provides users with full ownership and control over their data. And finally, local-first software reduces dependence on external services and it means your data and workflows aren’t at the mercy of company decisions or service outages.
– How widely is this approach adopted today?
On the one hand, the local-first movement is gaining traction among users, but on the other it’s also being championed by influential figures in the tech industry and one prominent advocate is David Heinemeier Hansson, the creator of Ruby on Rails and co-founder of 37signals, it is the company behind Basecamp. He actively promotes the idea of owning your software rather than perpetually renting it.
Besides, 37signals announced a new project called “Once“. One of the flagship products in this line is Campfire, a competitor to Slack. Unlike most modern chat applications that require subscriptions, Campfire is designed to be bought once and owned forever. This approach challenges the status quo of the SaaS industry. This makes me believe that the post–SaaS era is just around the corner as more and more companies have a question: Why should we have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars every month, indefinitely, just to chat with our coworkers?
– Yes, I totally agree that this is a reasonable question, but do you really think local-first is a perfect solution for all users?
Well, I do not want to sound too categorical here, since it’s important to recognise that privacy and confidentiality aren’t universal priorities for all users. Many people operate under the assumption that their personal data isn’t of interest to others. This perspective definitely influences how some of us approach data storage and software choices.
However, there is one aspect of data management that resonates with virtually everyone: the need for data persistence and safety from loss or deletion. This is a universal concern. Interestingly, the methods we use to keep data safe and always accessible also boost privacy and security. For instance, when we use strong backup systems, encrypted storage, or decentralised solutions, we not only prevent data loss but also protect it from unauthorised access. It’s a case where the practical need for reliable data storage aligns with the principles of the local-first movement. In practice, this alignment manifests in various solutions that users can implement today. Personal cloud storage platforms like Nextcloud or ownCloud allow users to create their own cloud storage systems, for example.
Besides, I believe we need to shift the focus: while privacy features remain important, there’s an equal need to message around data persistence, reliability, and protection against loss.
– Can you name some modern local-first alternatives to already existing cloud-solutions?
Yes, sure, there are alternatives with comparable functionality to popular cloud-based services. For example, Ente for end-to-end encrypted photo storage, with the option of using Network Attached Storage devices for home server setups. For file storage and collaboration, Proton Suite and Nextcloud provide privacy-focused and self-hosted solutions. Ollama allows users to run large language models locally and at the same time ensures that data never leaves their devices. For note-taking and knowledge management, Obsidian and Anytype can be the alternatives for cloud-based Notion.
– Thank you for this compelling conversation. To wind up our talk can you name any limitations the local-first strategy implies so that the readers get an unbiased view?
One of the primary problems is that managing local data and ensuring proper backups is much more complicated. Unlike cloud services that handle these tasks behind the scenes, local-first solutions require users to take a more active role in data management.
Another challenge stems from the nature of local-first app development itself. These privacy-focused applications are typically created by small teams or enthusiasts, and the solutions are often open-sourced. While this approach aligns with the principles of transparency and community-driven development, it can result in applications that may not match the polished, feature-rich experiences that big tech companies can produce with their vast resources.
Yet, despite these challenges, I think it is important to recognise the long-term value of data ownership and privacy and consequently the rise of local-first applications. Of course, I am not talking about a wholesale rejection of the cloud, but rather a nuanced approach that seeks to balance convenience with control.
