cirrux

Let’s face it: we've all enjoyed the convenience of Google and Microsoft at work. Almost every business and government relies on them to manage email, calendars, and documents. And while a few voices have been warning us for years, most of us have chosen to ignore them.

Then Trump re-entered the picture, and things began to deteriorate quickly. Recently, Microsoft even pulled the plug on the mailboxes of the International Criminal Court.

We could tell ourselves the worst is over. But would you really take that bet?

Some propose going back to how we used to do things—running our own servers in the basement. Honestly, I’m not cooking on a wood stove anymore either. I don’t want to worry about the remaining storage space on my NAS, or manually patching open-source software when it breaks after a new release. I simply don’t believe any solution that requires sacrificing convenience will succeed.

Cirrux is my project to build a better workspace. Initially: providing email, scheduling and writing tools to get your work done. A lot of work on that has already been done. But as a company of one, it will take a bit of time to get there.

Introducing Cirrux Backup

I know how difficult it is to switch email providers. The impact is huge, especially for teams. That’s why the first product I'm launching is Cirrux Backup. You sign in with your existing account, and Cirrux will sync your data to secure, encrypted, European-based storage. You can pull it from there anytime. If, for any reason, access to your data is cut off, Cirrux has your back.

Using Cirrux Backup also helps me to battle test the underlying architecture, and build a sustainable business that will last.

The Cirrux Desktop Downloader for Desktop allows to download your messages from your backup, whenever you need it.

Meanwhile, I'm building Cirrux

And when you’re ready, switching to Cirrux will be seamless. It system is custom designed for speed and security, but used via old, proven and open standards like IMAP, SMTP and CalDAV. This means you can log in to Cirrux on your Mac or iPhone and continue using Apple Mail and Apple Calendar, just like before.

A peek at my inbox in Apple Mail.

Rethinking workspace software

I’ve been thinking about this space for a long time. Most of us rely on tools from just two companies. Setting aside the geopolitical concerns, neither is known for creating software people truly love to use. Yes, you can email, write, chat, and meet. But do these tools actually help your team do its best work? Do they reduce distractions or create more of them? When was the last time you easily found that one document you needed?

With a clean foundation, we can rethink what software should do. Here’s one example. Many teams struggle with work-life balance. What if you wanted to pause notifications during weekends? How would you even run that experiment? Right now, there’s no way. But imagine the impact if there were.

Cirrux is built with a single purpose: to help you and your team operate at your best.

Any modern software company also has to consider the role of AI. For Cirrux, that’s an exciting part of the vision. In writing, design, and coding, generative AI and intelligent agents are already changing how we work. But there’s one constant: AI is only as useful as the context it understands. If we don’t control the infrastructure, we limit how powerful those agents can become.

That’s why control matters. You and your team should decide what data is used, where it’s stored, and when and how (and if at all!) AI is involved.

The early group of Cirrux Backup users are already using it to secure their data. I've introduced a Superfans plan which gives you access to a closed Telegram group where I'll share very regular updates and where you'll be able to help shape the product.

I’m excited to share this next chapter with you. If you have questions or thoughts, feel free to reach out.

—Rick Pastoor