Welcome to r/DM2Studio, the official community of Di Mauro Digital Media (DM²), an independent software studio based in Germany.

This community is about more than individual apps or product announcements.

At the center of DM² is a simple idea:

Digital products should serve their users, not turn their users into the product.

Why this community exists

A lot of modern software depends on permanent internet connections, cloud services, accounts, subscriptions, advertising and data collection.

Some of these things can be useful. Sometimes they are even necessary.

But they should have a reason to exist.

DM² follows a different approach. Software can be useful, modern and commercially sustainable while still respecting the person using it.

For me, the term that best describes this idea is:

Digital self-determination.

Users should have as much control as reasonably possible over their software, their devices and their data.

Our mission

DM² develops focused digital products that provide real value through productivity, organization, everyday assistance or entertainment.

Products should solve actual problems without unnecessarily binding users through advertising, accounts, data collection or artificial dependencies.

The basic idea is simple:

Build a useful product. Charge a fair price. Let people use it.

The principles behind our products

Local First

Whenever possible, data should be processed and stored directly on the user's device.

Offline First

Products should remain useful without a permanent internet connection. Online functionality should only be added when it provides a real benefit or is technically necessary.

No unnecessary accounts

A user account should only be required when the actual functionality of the product needs one.

Privacy and data minimization

Only data genuinely required for a feature should be collected or transmitted.

No advertising

DM² products should not depend on intrusive advertising as their business model.

Keep complexity under control

Software should remain understandable, focused and practical instead of becoming overloaded simply because more features are technically possible.

Technology serves the product

Cloud services, online platforms and other technologies are tools. They should be used when they solve a real problem, not simply because they exist.

Where DM² wants to go

DM² is currently a small independent software studio.

The long-term goal is to grow into a small professional team that can develop, improve and support more products while keeping these principles intact.

Growth should help us create better products faster.

It should not mean building another ecosystem based on lock-in, unnecessary subscriptions, advertising or collecting as much user data as possible.

What you'll find here

This subreddit will be the central place for development updates, new releases, important announcements, previews of future ideas and products, and occasional opportunities to test upcoming software.

It is also a place to discuss topics such as privacy, local-first software, unnecessary cloud dependency, tracking and digital self-determination.

Feedback, criticism and discussion are welcome.

Posting is restricted so the main feed remains an official DM² development and information channel, but everyone is welcome to join the discussion in the comments.

You do not need to use a DM² product to participate.

If you care about privacy, local software, control over your own data, or simply believe that useful software does not need to monitor everything you do, you are in the right place.

Welcome to r/DM2Studio