Why We're Building Ion Alpha

I’ve been running a digital business for years. At one point I counted the tools: project management, notes, code editor, git hosting, invoicing, email marketing, CRM, time tracking, content scheduling, analytics. Twelve subscriptions. Over $200 a month. Each tool did one thing and couldn’t talk to the others.

My client info lived in three different places. My project context was scattered across browser tabs I’d never find again. Every year the bills went up and the integrations got worse.

The real cost isn’t money

It’s attention. Studies show knowledge workers toggle between applications 1,200 times per day. That’s four hours a week spent just reorienting. Not thinking. Not building. Not shipping. Just figuring out where you left off.

It takes 23 minutes to fully regain focus after switching context. In an eight-hour day, task-switching alone cuts your productive time by up to 40%.

You’re not slow. Your tools are making you slow.

So I started building

Ion Alpha is the system I wanted but couldn’t find. One application where research, code, tasks, notes, contacts, invoicing, and everything else live together. Not as a cloud service that holds your data hostage, but as software that runs on your machine.

Local-first. Your data stays on your hard drive. Works without internet. No server between you and your work.

AI-native. AI is built into every layer, not bolted on as a $20/month add-on. Bring your own API keys or run local models. You choose the provider. You control the cost.

Own forever. One purchase. No subscription that doubles when you’re not looking. No enshittification roadmap. Your tools shouldn’t have a landlord.

What’s next

We’re building in public and sharing what we learn along the way. If you’re a founder, freelancer, or small team tired of duct-taping a dozen apps together, get on the early access list and you’ll be first to know when Ion Alpha launches.