Privacy should be
built in, not bolted on.

What we mean by local AI

In local mode, the selected model should process prompts and files on your computer. Founders HQ should not send your prompt content, documents or conversation history to a remote AI inference provider as part of normal local inference. This must be verified in the released application and its network behaviour before we make it a guarantee.

Local processing is not the same as no network traffic

An online account, subscription validation, software updates, downloads, email verification, crash diagnostics or optional integrations may contact remote services. These functions must be disclosed clearly, limited to what is necessary, and designed so that optional diagnostics and integrations can be controlled where practical. We will document what each connection sends and why before commercial launch.

Your files and work

Our intended default is to keep business files, prompts, generated work and chat history on your device when local mode supports that workflow. Any optional sync, backup, hosted AI or third-party integration must be clearly identified before data is sent off-device. Do not assume that data is encrypted at rest or excluded from operating-system backups until the final implementation documents and verifies those protections.

Accounts and subscriptions

If you create an online account, we will need to process limited account and subscription information, such as an email address, authentication/session data and payment status. A payment provider may process billing information. Local AI inference does not mean the account and billing system is entirely offline or that no personal data is processed by service providers.

What this website processes today

This section describes what the website and its account system actually do now. It has not yet been reviewed by a lawyer and the service provider's legal identity and contact details are still to be published.

• Account details: if you create an account, your email address, a salted PBKDF2 password hash (never the password itself), whether your email is verified, your plan and subscription status, and when the account was created.
• Sessions: one strictly necessary, HTTP-only session cookie. Only a hash of the session token is stored on our side; sessions expire after 14 days or when you sign out.
• Security records: hashes of one-time email-verification and password-reset tokens, a log of security events such as password resets, and a hash of your IP address used to limit repeated sign-in and sign-up attempts. Attempt records are kept for about a day.
• Service providers: Cloudflare hosts the website, API and database. Email (Resend) and payments (Stripe) are used only once they are switched on; neither is active for customers today. Payment card details would be handled by Stripe, not by this website.
• No analytics or advertising trackers are used on this website.
• Your controls: a signed-in account holder can export their account data and delete their account through the account API. Retention periods and a contact route for data-protection requests will be published before launch.

Choices and transparency

• Local AI is the default product direction.
• Hosted AI is a separate planned option and remains marked Coming Soon until it is implemented with clear consent and cost controls.
• We aim to explain required connections, optional integrations, data categories and retention in plain language.
• We will publish final privacy, retention, deletion and contact information before accepting real customers.

Before launch

We must test outbound network behaviour, review dependencies and logs, verify local storage and deletion behaviour, document third-party processors, and complete a security and privacy review. Until those checks are complete, Founders HQ should be treated as a preview, not a certified privacy product.