Local-first focus for macOS
Stira
Intent-shaped focus for a Mac that takes the hint.
Say what you came to do. Stira translates that into a local policy, quiets the wrong apps and routes, and keeps the session honest without judging you for needing an escape hatch.
- < 10s
- intent to visible change
- 1 ask
- Accessibility only at launch
- 0 cloud
- no backend, telemetry, or account
Focus policy compiled locally
Slack notification posture set to quiet
twitter.com blocked before load
The gap
Your computer does not know why you opened it.
Most focus tools ask you to manually author rules: block these apps, allow those websites, start a timer, hope the rules match the task. Stira flips the authorship. You give the reason. The machine derives the boundaries.
The loop
One declaration, three local systems.
Intent engine
A local Qwen model turns plain language into a structured policy: apps, routes, duration, confidence, notification posture, and scoped exceptions.
Hermes enforcement
A background macOS layer reads the policy and handles app focus: suppressing blocked apps, killing drift, and logging session events.
Browser extension
URL rules catch what the OS cannot see inside the browser, with path-level exceptions like allowing lecture videos while blocking the rest.
Local by default
No dashboard watching you watch yourself.
Stira has no cloud backend, no remote database, and no telemetry. Intent parsing runs on your Mac for the MVP. The policy is enforced locally. Session memory stays scoped to your install.
The override
Firm boundaries. Human language.
When you push against a session, Stira does not scold. It asks what changed, waits, then grants only the scoped exception you chose.
You asked to stay in writing mode.
Open Reddit for how long?MVP promise
The first version earns trust before asking for more.
What ships first
- Plain-language intent input
- Ollama + Qwen policy generation
- Native app focus enforcement
- Chrome URL-rule extension
- Standard escape hatch
What waits
- Remote model fallback
- DOM and vision-based browser control
- Manual policy editor
- Analytics dashboard
- Extra permissions before value is proven
Early access
Your computer should know what you sat down to do.
Stira turns intent into an environment that protects it. Join the early access list and I'll send the first build when it is ready.