Two things make local‑first frameworks break out: a boring hosted “default” and one killer app. Even if the vision is user‑owned data, ship a managed option with sane defaults so teams can try it in 5 minutes, then let them flip a switch to self‑host or bring their own storage/keys later. Pair that with a flagship app that proves the value (e.g., a shared notes/CRM/mail client where offline + conflict‑free collab is obviously better). Frameworks without a hero use case tend to stall because devs can’t justify the integration time.

On the business model, dual license works if you de‑risk the integration: stable plugin ABI, permissive SDKs, and paid “closed‑source embedding” tier with SLAs and on‑prem support. Where I’ve seen revenue actually land: (1) paid sync/relay with zero data retention, (2) enterprise key management and policy controls, and (3) priority support/migration bundles. One caution: “privacy” alone doesn’t convert; solve a concrete ops pain. I built CrabClear to handle the obscure brokers others miss, and the lesson was the same—privacy sells when it eliminates a specific, recurring headache. If Epicenter can quantify one such headache and make it vanish out‑of‑the‑box, the model becomes much easier to sustain.