One day in San Francisco changed the conversation.
I'm a solo founder. I spent a day in San Francisco showing two things I build: AwaCut, a desktop app that removes photo backgrounds in bulk on your own computer, and awa.games, free puzzle games. That one day brought more interest from investors and potential acquirers than the months before it. This journal is about what I showed and the thinking behind it.
Offline, no uploads, no credits. What local-first software and on-device AI mean in practice, from building AwaCut as a desktop app instead of a web tool.
awa.games is the other thing people asked about in San Francisco: free sudoku, minesweeper, nonogram and picture sudokus, and what they share with AwaCut.
Open the product, not the pitch. A one-hour software due diligence checklist for buyers, users and investors, with AwaCut as the worked example.
Thinking4 min read
What got attention that day
I showed two things in San Francisco. Some people wanted to talk about the tool, some about the games, and a few about both. Which drew more interest from the business side is the part I keep for the conversation.
Before
After, from AwaCut
AwaCut
A bulk background remover for Mac, Windows and Linux that runs on your own computer.
Local-first. The AI model runs on your machine. No uploads, no account, works offline.
Batches, not single photos. Hundreds at once, saved as transparent PNG, on white, or on a colour you pick.
Mac, Windows and Linux. The first 10 photos are free, no card needed.