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Championing Digital Freedom Since 2025

THE HALFBAKEDLAB

We are a team of open-source advocates, privacy champions, and engineers dedicated to building software that respects your freedom.

Our Origin Story

Built on Principles, Not Profits

The Half Baked Lab was born from a simple frustration: too much software is closed, extractive, and treats users as products rather than people. We believed there was a better way—one built on transparency, user ownership, and open-source principles.

Starting with just two people, a laptop, and a commitment to digital freedom, we've grown into a team of engineers who refuse to compromise on our values. Today, we serve clients who share our belief that software should be open, auditable, and truly owned by those who use it.

What sets us apart isn't just technical skill—it's our unwavering commitment to open-source first, privacy-respecting, and self-hostable solutions. We don't just write code; we build tools that liberate rather than lock in.

HBL

Our Values

These aren't just words on a page—they're the principles we code by, the architecture we design, and the conversations we have with every client.

Open-Source First

We default to open-source tools and licenses. Transparency isn't a feature—it's our foundation.

Community-Powered

We believe in the collective intelligence of open communities. We give back more than we take.

Privacy-First Innovation

We explore cutting-edge tech without compromising privacy. No tracking, no dark patterns.

Auditable Excellence

Because our work is often open, we build knowing the world can review our choices.

Meet Our Leadership

We're engineers who believe code should serve people, not corporations. Here's who's building the open future:

Sahil Fruitwala

Sahil Fruitwala

Co-Founder & Open-Source Advocate

Software Engineer with a passion for building transparent, user-respecting solutions. 5+ years championing open-source tools and self-hostable architectures.

Purva Desai

Purva Desai

Co-Founder & Privacy-First Data Architect

Data Engineer with 5+ years turning complex data into actionable insights—without compromising user privacy. Expert in data ownership and privacy-preserving analytics.

Why Open-Source?

Security

Transparent code means vulnerabilities can't hide in proprietary shadows.

Durability

Software that outlives any single company through community ownership.

Trust

Auditable by independent researchers. Verify before you trust.

Flexibility

Forkable and adaptable. You're never locked into a single vendor's roadmap.

Built on Open Foundations

We never build dependencies on proprietary platforms that can't be replaced. Our stack is open by design.

Languages

Python, TS/JS, Go, Rust

Frameworks

React, Next.js, FastAPI

Databases

Postgres, SQLite, Redis

Infra

Docker, K8s, Linux

Partner with Principles

Source code ownership
Self-hosting options
Open-source components
Transparent documentation
Exit strategies built-in
Privacy by default

We're not trying to lock you in. We're trying to set you free.