Capture comes first
A useful note app catches the thought before it disappears. Structure can follow.
The Cleft Manifesto
Softwareshouldhelpyoutrustyourownthoughts.
Cleft exists for verbal thinkers, neurodivergent minds, and anyone whose best ideas arrive faster than typing can keep up.
Why we built it
Capture broke first.
Traditional note-taking asked us to slow down, switch context, and organize thoughts before we had even caught them.
We built Cleft because we needed a tool that could keep up: voice-first capture, local transcription, reusable output styles, and notes that can move into the places we already work.
The goal is not to make people sound more polished. The goal is to help people keep the thought while it is still alive.
What we believe
Build for the person thinking out loud.
Your thoughts belong to you
Cleft transcribes recordings on device. Signed-in notes sync securely. Your content is not training data.
Edge cases lead
We design for ADHD, accessibility, messy speech, and low-energy days first. Better defaults follow.
Your workflow wins
Cleft should feed the tools people already use, from Notion and Obsidian to meetings and Shortcuts.
Customers set the pace
We choose sustainable, customer-funded software over hypergrowth. People who use Cleft come first.
Quality is the strategy
We would rather do one thing beautifully than turn Cleft into another everything app.
What we refuse
Cleft does not need to become everything.
We build around capture, privacy, accessibility, and fit. That means saying no on purpose.
- A second brain that makes you organize before you capture.
- A surveillance product dressed up as productivity.
- A walled garden that traps your notes.
- A roadmap shaped by hype instead of real use.
Our promise
We are building Cleft to last.
Keep capture fast.
Tell the truth about privacy and sync.
Build accessibility into the first draft.
Charge for a better experience, not confusion.
Let people choose offline-first or offline-only in Cleft 2.0.
Make software that helps people trust their own thoughts.
Keep the thought while it is still there.
Fast by default. On-device transcription. Sign-in required.
