Build small apps that keep your data yours.

Optional Labs makes private software that does one job well: Revive for sleep and recovery, JobMatch, Helm, ZeroAuth, Saifu, Parchi and Passo. We are always glad to hear from people who care about that kind of work.

How we work

Four habits, in the order we notice them when something goes wrong.

Private by designNo account, no analytics and no server holding your data unless the app truly needs one. When a feature needs the cloud, it is opt-in, it sends the least it can, and it says so.
Native where it mattersSwiftUI on iPhone, Jetpack Compose on Android, and Kotlin shared between them so a score is the same number on both. Small Cloudflare Workers for the few things that need a server.
Written downEvery change starts as an issue, every release is traced to a commit, and how we work lives in the repository, so a new person can read their way in.
Few things, finishedWe would rather ship six small apps that are done than one large app that is never quite. Plain words in the product, calm design, no dark patterns.

Where we look for people

We have no fixed opening listed today. These are the kinds of work we would talk about, and every note is read by a person.

iOS engineerSwiftUI, HealthKit, Live Activities and widgets.
Android engineerKotlin, Jetpack Compose, Health Connect and Bluetooth.
Backend and edgeCloudflare Workers, attestation, and keeping the few server parts small and safe.
Product designerInterfaces, motion and the small details that make a calm app feel calm.
Health and data scienceSleep, recovery and training models explained in plain language, with the evidence behind them.
Something elseIf your skill is not listed and you think it fits, tell us.

Tell us about you.

Say who you are, which area fits, and send a link to something you have made. We write back when there is a fit.

Write to us