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175 points chilipepperhott | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.275s | source
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danjl ◴[] No.44474553[source]
The reason it's easier to scale local software is that it does not rely on cloud resources. As a result it's cheaper for a startup to distribute local first software since they don't need the infrastructure of a traditional cloud app. The problem is there is no business model for local first software like there is for subscriptions with SaaS. Traditional desktop apps were sold as single purchase items on CDs. That just doesn't work for local first software, since you probably just navigate to a website to get the software.
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airstrike ◴[] No.44474603[source]
> The problem is there is no business model for local first software like there is for subscriptions with SaaS.

I think this is too broad a stroke to paint with. There's local-first software that still connects to the cloud for additional features. Local-first can enable you to continue to work when offline, but the software can still be more useful when online.

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1. danjl ◴[] No.44474685[source]
So your primary technical goal is to do local first, and you keep the cloud because it provides a business model that works? That feels very brittle. The way you're describing it, local first is an optional additional element for a cloud-based tool. I don't think that's the primary intent of the local first movement.