Launch HN: Hyprnote (YC S25) – An open-source AI meeting notetaker

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Technical architecture & implementation

  • Desktop app built with Tauri; Rust side hosts an OpenAI-compatible local LLM server, called from a TypeScript frontend via Vercel AI SDK.
  • Audio capture on macOS uses the AudioTap API rather than third‑party loopback drivers (e.g., Blackhole), which some commenters found painful.
  • Whisper is used for STT initially because it’s lighter; a custom Whisper-variant realtime model and Parakeet support are planned.
  • Some devs are interested in reusing the project’s Rust crates; current license is GPL with a possible later shift to a more permissive license.

Local‑first, models, and extensibility

  • Strong enthusiasm for local‑first, offline operation with no signups and user‑controlled endpoints/models.
  • Debate over local small models vs state-of-the-art cloud models: some say small models are “good enough” for summarization; others insist best commercial models still matter for business-critical accuracy.
  • Planned extensibility: VS Code–like extension system, ELI5 / “make me sound smart” live assistance, headless / CLI-style modes, and MCP tool hooks.
  • Users request webhooks for live transcripts with speaker metadata, calendar integration, Obsidian/Logseq/Apple Notes/Markdown export, and project/tag-aware context summaries.

Features, limitations, and use cases

  • Compared to Granola and others: pitched as local-first, controllable, and eventually more extensible, with an emphasis on “raw notes + AI enhancement” rather than pure auto-summarization.
  • Enterprise consent mechanisms under active design: silent bots, chat messages, visual indicators, and consent links.
  • Hybrid and in‑person meetings: lack of robust speaker diarization is a major blocker for many; current solution is manual reassignment in a Descript‑like editor, with diarization “planned” but not yet working.
  • Some users note mismatch between marketing (“Speaker Identification”) and current behavior.

Platforms, UX, and ergonomics

  • macOS is first (dogfooding + Apple silicon performance); Windows is targeted for August; Linux is now “of course,” mobile planned Q4 with RN/Dioxus instead of Tauri mobile.
  • Some frustrations: macOS launch bugs, lack of sandboxing, background music on onboarding, confusing “Finder” naming, no dark mode yet.
  • Multiple comparisons to MacWhisper, Vibe, Granola, Fireflies, Quill, etc.; Hyprnote praised for being open-source and local, but others already do parts of the workflow.

Business model, licensing, and trust

  • Monetization:
    • Individual “Pro” license (~$179/year) gating non-essential features (custom templates, multi-turn chat, custom STT).
    • Open-source admin server for enterprises under a paid business license (SSO, access control, integrations).
  • Debate around “SSO tax” and whether gating SSO is “anti-security.”
  • GPL license blocks use at some workplaces.
  • Criticism of “logo play” on the landing page (showing big-company logos because individuals there tried the app) as misleading social proof.
  • “No data leaves the device” messaging is questioned due to Posthog/Sentry/Axiom analytics; maintainers say analytics are opt‑out and mostly panic reports, and plan to refine this.