The privacy comments elsewhere in the thread resonated with me, but I think self hosting is too large a barrier for most users.
I decided to build Prim by leveraging iCloud’s local/cloud CoreData storage. This approach ensures I never have access to user’s data - it stays completely within the Apple ecosystem.
I have also taken a mobile-first approach, I think that focus reduced some of the installation and maintenance barriers for users. With the iOS app there’s no deployment or setup cost for users. Personal interactions (chat) and data (contacts, calendars) are already managed through our phones, so the iOS app also seems to be a natural fit for other reasons.
I hope to see more products/projects where the users data, monetization, and developer incentives align. It’s great to see an open source PRM project that matches those incentives.
Thanks for pointing out the screen size issue, I’ve just submitted a new version to allow scrolling for smaller screen sizes. Hope you can try the app out when Apple approves!
I like the images idea. I was imagining I could integrate with the iOS photos app - then your photo memories could be seamlessly linked to your contacts. The mobile focus opens up many integration possibilities.
I was having this same problem, I always felt unprepared when it came time to give gifts (Holidays, Birthdays, etc). I ended up building a simple app for myself that let me take notes for my closest relationships throughout the year. Once it’s gift giving time I now have a list of ideas already built up.
I call it a PRM, essentially a personal CRM. I worry it sounds inauthentic to treat personal relationships like a CRM, but it’s really focused on my own internal reminders and preventing forgetfulness for people I care about.
There’s a lot of improvement to make apps like these less tedious with data entry. I’d also love to see more examples of products that excel at balancing the data-driven nature of technology with personal, empathetic human relationships. It’s a difficult line to walk well.
There's no setup on the user's part. For the developer, it allows you to abstract the datastore and give ownership back to the user - the developer doesn't have access to the private databases of its users. It's possible to build completely client side apps with syncing between devices without ever being exposed to the user's content.
Looks like CloudkitJs also exists for the web. I'm not sure if it allows the user to export directly, but that would help guarantee users weren't trapped.
All that said, it's tied to the Apple ecosystem. An independent service with similar features and a large enough community would be interesting.
Are you using iOS 14? After the upgrade I’ve seen an increase in crashes for CloudKit storage. Hope to have a fix out soon.
I will follow up on the data mobility in your other comment.