Local-first applications continue to fascinate me. Real change or just a developer’s dream?

I've been picking apps based on one question – does this work when there's no connection on the train? Obsidian works, Linear works mostly. Many new AI apps don't even try, and it's frustrating more than I thought it would be.

A local-first approach sounds good. The data is stored locally, syncing happens in the background, and the app runs fast because it doesn't depend on the server. For developers, technologies like SQLite and sync engines have made it much more feasible than five years ago.

But I feel like I might be living in a bubble, because everyone I know doesn’t care where their notes are stored as long as they show up everywhere. And local-first comes with some really difficult challenges, such as resolving conflicts and dealing with lost phones.

That’s why I wonder who would want this in the first place. Is this a change that users are actually looking for or just something that developers convince each other about? Did your users ever talk to you about this if you’ve created something local-first?