Source: jakelazaroff.com
Jake Lazaroff’s breakdown of atproto clarifies an important distinction: local-first isn’t about running software on your machine instead of the cloud—it’s about building systems that function without network connectivity and sync when reconnected. This matters because most “local” software still fails the moment Wi-Fi drops, leaving users stranded rather than empowered. The technical shift toward true offline-capable systems changes the power dynamic between users and platforms, making data sovereignty an architectural requirement rather than a marketing claim.