Background
We were joined by Guillem Puche to chat about his app for saving inspirational quotes. We spoke about what he sees as the benefits of local-first, why he decided to use PowerSync, and the future he sees for his app.
TL;DR
- Guillem is developing an app using React and React Native that stores personal quotes. He plans to launch soon.
- Local-first was attractive because of the instantaneous user experience it enables.
- After exploring alternatives like ElectricSQL and Replicache, Guillem chose PowerSync for its ease of setup, modular architecture, and flexibility. He also trusts the experienced team behind it.
App details
Interview
PowerSync
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Guillem. To start, could you tell us a little about yourself, what you're currently working on, and how you're using PowerSync?
Guillem
I'm developing a mobile app in TypeScript for React and React Native. It's an app for personal quotes, like those from books, movies, or podcasts. The goal is to make it a consumer app. I aim to bootstrap everything myself. My plan is to launch the mobile app soon and then work on an e-commerce site later this year.
PowerSync
That sounds exciting! Could you explain how the e-commerce aspect of your app will work?
Guillem
The idea is to allow users to create personal collections of quotes. Initially, these will be private, but eventually, I'd like to build a community where users can share quotes and even create articles about the context and philosophy behind them. The e-commerce side will involve selling physical products like stickers with quotes, and maybe in the future, clothing. For now, I'm focusing on smaller, more sustainable products like stickers. Later on, I might expand into clothing.
The sticker editor will be AI-powered, where you’ll personalize your own stickers. The cool part? PowerSync stores all your previous sticker designs and even your order history locally, so you’ll always have everything right there, no matter your connection.
PowerSync
When it comes to implementing a local-first or offline-first architecture, what motivated you to choose that?
Guillem
For me, it’s all about the user experience. I want the app to feel like a notes app — something fast and responsive. Users should be able to save quotes even if they’re offline, like when reading a book on a train with no network. It has to be instantaneous, with no delays. Collaboration is also important because I want to eventually allow people to share collections of quotes with others.
PowerSync
What alternatives did you consider before choosing PowerSync?
Guillem
I looked at ElectricSQL, but I found it too tightly coupled. It was also quite difficult to set up. Another option was Replicache, but they were too expensive for my needs, especially considering my app will have a free tier. What stood out to me about PowerSync is that it integrates in a plug-and-play way with Postgres and lets the developer decide how conflict resolution should work.
PowerSync
It sounds like you liked the flexibility that PowerSync offers. Was there anything specific about the way it works with backend databases that made it stand out for you?
Guillem
Yes, I liked that PowerSync doesn’t take over the database.
PowerSync
What would you say is the most valuable thing about PowerSync for you? If you had to rank your reasons for choosing it, what would be number one?
Guillem
Honestly, it’s the team behind PowerSync. I read about the history of JourneyApps and your experience with enterprise data sync use cases. Knowing there's a solid team with a track record gives me confidence. The modular architecture and your responsiveness in the community are also big pluses.
Also, you're able to improve the small details of your libraries that the community brings up. I feel a constant improvement of PowerSync.
PowerSync
That’s great to hear. We’ve put a lot of effort into making PowerSync flexible and developer-friendly. It's good to know that our approach is working for you. Do you have any thoughts on how PowerSync could improve, or features you'd like to see?
Guillem
You’re already growing a strong community, and it'll naturally improve as more people use the technology. My only suggestion is to keep up the fast support and community involvement. It makes a difference when you're a solo developer trying to build something independently.
PowerSync
Thanks for the feedback. One more question: We're excited about local-first architecture due to its benefits for users (such as speed, offline access, and data ownership) and developers (such as simplified state management). We believe it will become the dominant app architecture, but its adoption depends on the availability of great developer tools. Our goal is to make local-first easier to adopt than cloud-first architecture. Given this, do you have any ideas or suggestions on where we should focus?
Guillem
Sure, happy to help. One thing is collaborating with micro-influencers and developers who want to build something innovative. They often start from scratch and push the latest trends. I think focusing on people who influence developer communities will help your success.
PowerSync
That’s great feedback. Thank you!
Guillem
Happy to help! I’ll also promote PowerSync as my project grows.
