Anytype

Phil J pointed this application out to me. "The Everything App"…

What could possibly go wrong?

In my world, applications that can do everything tend to end up as applications that do nothing. How is this different?

TLDR. It isn't.

Anytype is beautifully marketed. For someone like me, suddenly concerned about data privacy, cross-platform, and worried about "Big Tech", it hits all the notes. "For those who celebrate trust and autonomy." It's a nerd war cry!

"One App for Many" trumpets the home page, which then goes on to list nineteen use cases. And there it is. How have I lived without a "Neighbours Hub" or a "Journal Page"? All of these objects reside locally - but I couldn't tell you where. Presumably, in a database hidden in the file system. It is possible to export as Markdown or "Any-block", whatever that might be.

Once inside the application, one is faced with an interface reminiscent of Notion, Obsidian or Craft. Like Craft, Anytype is all about a block editor and objects. You don't really understand? Me, neither. Fear not, off you go to YouTube, where power-users have made an extensive series of explainer videos.

No. I did try. Honestly. I even watched a couple of short ones. The long ones? I couldn't muster the enthusiasm.

If you're into Personal Knowledge Management (PKM), and value your privacy, and like a slightly nerdy workflow, then this could be your thing. You could run your tasks through it, and your journal. You could swiftly move from your daily dashboard to your bespoke Customer Relationship Manager. Somebody will be (or maybe is), what Mike Schmitz is to Obsidian. A guru who will help induct people into a brave new world.

I love the look of the application and the feeling that it evokes. I'm besotted by the idea of one application to rule them all. I'm a recovering Obsidian user. This application is slick and clever. It's a beautiful solution for an undiscovered problem. (For me.)

I had a quick squint to see how Anytype is funded.

The website is full is flowery prose and fair chunks of idealism.

"Our believers: a perfect mix of capital, advice, and loving support for our lofty dreams." Isn't that beautiful? Then there's a list of names, none of whom I recognise, but I assume they are all splendid folk offering "loving support".

Then we get a bevvy of corporate links.

Proudly supported by

Balderton↗Inflection↗Square One↗Script Сapital↗Protocol Labs↗System.One↗Connect Ventures↗Techstars↗Acequia Capital↗Early Grey Сapital↗Tiny Vc↗New Forge↗Foreword Vc↗S16VC↗

Ummm...aren't these venture capitalist firms? Accelerators? Angel Investors?

Just as an FYI, I'm not sure there's such a thing as an angel, but if there is, it's not flapping around investing in tech companies. These types of firms look for returns. They're cold-eyed businesses. No shame in that, of course.

Anytype offers a freemium model at $99 per year or $299. I assume that if there are enough sign-ups, this will cover the pay of the growing staff and get the investors their return. If it isn't, the model may change, I guess.

Anytype is beautiful, but I have no use for it, and perhaps most importantly, it just feels too slick. Wow, I've become cynical.

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