I've been trying to answer a simple question: how much of a desktop app can you explain before a demo turns into a feature dump?

The full SADFinder walkthrough is over four minutes. I cut the core workflow down to 29 seconds:

https://youtu.be/S8pkrsR2OCs

It shows the parts I wanted someone to understand first: separate folders in tabs, familiar keyboard actions, and moving files without losing context. I deliberately left out most settings and secondary features.

Yesterday I realized SADFinder still had a painfully obvious break in its core experience.

If you downloaded a file and clicked Open Folder or used Show in Finder from another app macOS opened the regular Finder instead of SADFinder.

For an app meant to replace Finder, that's bad.

How did I miss it? I was focused on visible work: colored tabs in three styles, six new premium themes, reorderable favorites, folder-specific view settings, and dozens of smaller improvements. Users reported other issues, but nobody mentioned this one. My developer saw it with fresh eyes, and we fixed it immediately.

I really struggled with MacOS after so many years on Windows. I couldn't explain why:

• the delete key didn't send files to the trash

• why Enter renamed a folder instead of ... entering it

• why cut-paste through didn't work

• why there was no path bar that I could copy-paste

So I decided to build SADFinder. It's called "sad" because I didn't think I'd have to build such an app in 2026.

I'm sure you'll find bugs, but message me and I'll fix 'em quick!
Thanks!