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ROADMAP

We’re on a mission to build a superior, user-owned alternative to Big Tech AI systems.

An AI system built on the following 4 pillars:

  1. Ownership - You should own your AI system.
  2. Freedom - Your AI system should not be restricted.
  3. Empowerment - Your AI system should be easy to use, customize, & build on.
  4. Sustainability - Value should flow to those that create it.

If this resonates, we’d love to build with you.

Roadmap Phases​

Phase 0: License Selection - (DONE - MIT License Chosen)​

The 4 pillars of BrainDrive make the MIT license the obvious choice:

  1. Ownership: Once you install BrainDrive, it's yours forever.
  2. Freedom: MIT is the most permissive major open source license.
  3. Empowerment: Build on your BrainDrive without legal uncertainty.
  4. Sustainability: Value flows to those who create it via services & the plugin layer.

Why This Matters

The way to create a superior alternative to Big Tech AI systems, is to do something they never will. Create a completely open alternative to their closed systems.

Why build on a Big Tech owned foundation, when you can build on your own foundation instead?

Phase 1: Foundation - (CURRENT FOCUS)​

Goal: BrainDrive owners can easily install BrainDrive-Core on Linux, Windows, and Mac and have a clean first “tell me a joke” chat with a local AI model.

Why This Matters:

Phase 1 is about making it easy for anyone to own the foundational components of their AI system.

Your first local, BrainDrive powered chat means you own the foundation of your AI system:

  1. Interface = BrainDrive-Core + AI Chat Plugin
  2. Intelligence = Open source AI model
  3. Memory = Your conversation history
  4. Hosting = Your computer

The chat experience is also built using BrainDrive-Core's plugin-based architecture. It’s the first building block of the many we will create to build a superior, user-owned alternative to Big Tech AI systems.

Acceptance Criteria:

Phase 1 is complete when you can install BrainDrive, reach the chat window, type "tell me a joke," and get a response. Reliably, every time, on any supported platform.

Key Deliverables:

  • Installers 1-click install for Windows, MacOS and Linux
  • Cross-platform installation guide for developers that works seamlessly on Linux, Windows, and macOS
  • Ollama integration with GUI-based model management. Download Ollama and add/remove open source models in BrainDrive, no terminal required.
  • Default AI Chat plugin included with BrainDrive-Core install as the first example of a plugin-driven experience

Where we’re at:

  • Done: We have completed the cross-platform installation guide, Ollama Integration, and Default AI chat plugins. Ollama and AI Chat plugin install with BrainDrive-Core by default, and can be easily removed with 1 click.
  • In Progress 1-click install for Windows, macOS, and Linux

Community Calls to Action:

Phase 2: BrainDrive Owner Release​

Goal: Build on Phase 1 foundation with personalization features and functionality. Receive feedback from 25 individuals who have installed and tried out BrainDrive.

Why This Matters:

Phase 2 is about getting the word out & building on the foundation laid in phase 1 by empowering individuals to personalize their BrainDrive.

Key Deliverables:

  • BrainDrive Owner Goto Market launch plan developed and executed.
  • Documentation: Non-technical guides and tutorials
  • Enhanced Persona System – Create custom AI assistants with tailored system prompts to give BrainDrive Owners another reason to use their BrainDrive beyond ownership and privacy.
  • First Persona Driven Use Case Start to finish chat experience to accomplish a goal (ie Find your why)
  • Add page & persona to BrainDrive w/ 1-click plugin install
  • Share page & persona w/ other BrainDrive Owners in 1 click
  • Improved Page Builder – Better UX, stability, and plugin layout controls (add/resize/arrange)
  • Community Showcases: Gallery of user-created pages and use cases
  • OpenRouter API Default Plugin – BrainDrive’s first community plugin. Empowers BrainDrive Owners to run API based models in their BrainDrive. Showcases the plugin architecture with:
    • One-click install and removal
    • Deploy from any GitHub repository (no platform lock-in)
    • Fork and customize for different models and behaviors
  • Chat with Documents (RAG System) – Our second community plugin, empowering BrainDrive owners to ground their chats in their own context, privately and securely. Featuring:
    • Open-source local RAG and document processing
    • Modular design for easy integration with AI chat
    • Demonstrates the plugin development workflow with connections to external services.
  • MCP Plugin (Labs) – Empowering BrainDrive owners to connect their BrainDrive to outside systems and tools. Experimental MCP server integration (active development, "labs" designation)
  • Feedback recorded and prioritized
  • System Debug button for 1 click error log reporting
  • All Foundation Bugs Identified & Resolved Ensuring smooth bug-free operation of all foundational elements across all supported operating systems.

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Non-Technical BrainDrive Owners can follow our documentation to get up and running on their BrainDrive without 3rd party assistance
  • BrainDrive Owners can create, deploy & share custom persona-based chat experiences across all supported platforms.
  • BrainDrive Owners can leverage custom knowledge bases with their persona's via Chat w/ Docs functionaltiy
  • BrainDrive owners can easily switch between both local and API based AI models in their BrainDrive
  • All bugs Identified and resolved across BrainDrive-Core and Default Plugins.
  • Feedback received from at least 25 BrainDrive Owners in the BrainDrive Community

Where We’re At:

  • First draft of Persona’s, Page Builder, Open Router, Chat w/ Documents

Community Calls to Action:

  • Test BrainDrive and provide feedback.
  • Identify and report bugs across BrainDrive-Core and Default plugins
  • Build persona-based experiences and share them
  • Contribute to BrainDrive’s first 3 community plugins
  • Improve documentation based on your learning journey

Phase 3: BrainDrive Builder Release (Build)​

Goal: Make it easy to build on BrainDrive.

Why This Matters:

Owning your AI system is the first step to building a superior, user-owned alternative to Big Tech AI systems. Empowering BrainDrive Owners to build on top of their BrainDrive is the second step. So that's what this phase is all about.

Key Deliverables:

  • BrainDrive Builder Goto Market launch plan developed and executed
  • Developer Documentation & Examples – Clear, accessible guides and examples for building on BrainDrive
  • Training Resources: Video tutorials, starter templates, example projects
  • Community Plugin listing procedures and discoverability.
  • Code Quality: Refactored, well-commented, follows best practices
  • UX Polish: Intuitive, consistent, accessible
  • Bug Remediation: All known bugs resolved, edge cases handled
  • JSON Marketplace: For plugin discovery, sharing, & 3rd party marketplace creation.
  • BrainDrive Code Concierge: A BrainDrive tuned coding assistant that makes building BrainDrive plugins easy.

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Zero critical bugs in core and default plugins
  • Developer onboarding takes < 30 minutes from install to first plugin
  • BrainDrive Builders successfully build and deploy plugins without team assistance
  • Feedback from 10 developers who have built and launched plugins on their BrainDrive.

Where We’re At:

Currently focused on Phases 1 & 2.

Current Community Calls to Action:

  • Stress-test the system and report bugs
  • Work on resolving bugs
  • Contribute to code quality through refactoring PRs

Future Community Calls to Action:

  • Create training content (tutorials, videos, blog posts)
  • Design and build plugins that push the boundaries, share your learnings

Phase 4: BrainDrive Entreprenuer Release​

Goal: Make it easy to monetize your BrainDrive.

Why This Matters:

Owning your BrainDrive is the 1st step to building a superior, user-owned alternative to Big Tech AI systems. The ability to build on your BrainDrive is the 2nd step. Benefiting from the value you create with your BrainDrive is the 3rd.

And that's what this phase is all about.

Key Deliverables:

  • Guidelines for what can be monetized on the BrainDrive Marketplace and how it can be monetized (No lock-in or rules for off marketplace transactions. Deploy and sell wherever you please.)
  • Enhanced BrainDrive Default Plugin Marketplace: Browse, install, and manage plugins through GUI.
  • 3rd Party Marketplace Support Add your own marketplace to your BrainDrive. No fork required.
  • Custom Branding Customize your BrainDrive to match your brand.

Where we’re at:

Currently focused on Phases 1 & 2

Phase 5: Community Acceleration​

Goal: BrainDrive becomes community-driven, accelerating development and innovation beyond what any central team could achieve.

Why This Matters:

The open architecture we've built in Phases 1-4 is designed for this moment: when the community's collective creativity and diverse needs drive the platform forward faster than any centralized effort could.

This is where user-owned AI proves its superiority and sustainability. Not through a single company's vision, but through thousands of builders creating solutions for their specific needs and sharing them with others.

Key Focus Areas:

Core Development Distribution

  • Community contributors shape core architecture decisions
  • Multiple maintainers beyond the founding team
  • RFC (Request for Comments) process for major changes
  • Transparent governance model for core development

Advanced Plugin Ecosystem

  • Inter-plugin communication protocols
  • Plugin dependency management
  • Plugin APIs for deeper integration
  • Verified plugin developer program
  • Plugin marketplace with ratings, reviews, and discovery

Self-Hosted Multi-User Capabilities

  • Team and organization deployment patterns
  • Shared resources and collaborative features
  • Role-based access and permissions
  • Self-hosting best practices and tooling

Enterprise & Production Readiness

  • SSO and authentication integrations
  • Audit logs and compliance features
  • Backup and migration tools
  • Performance monitoring and optimization
  • Security hardening guides

Ecosystem Integrations

  • Connect BrainDrive to the broader open source AI ecosystem
  • Integration standards with other user-owned AI projects
  • API standards for third-party service connections
  • Data portability and interoperability protocols

Sustainable Business Models

  • Monetizable plugin verticals
  • Professional services marketplace
  • Training and certification programs
  • Support tiers for teams and enterprises
  • Sustainable funding models that preserve user ownership

Sustainability Without Compromise:

This is where our fourth pillar of Sustainability fully activates. We believe you can build sustainable business models on top of open source software without compromising user ownership or freedom.

BrainDrive-Core remains free, open source, and user-owned forever. Revenue comes from value-added services that people choose to pay for:

  • Premium Plugins - Developers can charge for specialized plugins while keeping the plugin architecture open
  • Professional Services - Training, consulting, custom development for teams and enterprises
  • Managed Hosting - Optional hosted solutions for those who want convenience (while self-hosting remains free)
  • Support Tiers - Priority support and SLAs for organizations that need them

This model has been proven by projects like WordPress, Linux, and countless other open source ecosystems. Users keep full ownership and control. Developers and service providers can build sustainable businesses. Everyone wins.

Acceptance Criteria:

  • 10+ active core contributors from outside the founding team
  • 100+ community-maintained plugins
  • 5+ teams/organizations running self-hosted multi-user instances
  • Community-driven feature prioritization process established
  • Sustainable funding model supporting full-time core development
  • Integration partnerships with 3+ major open source AI projects

Future Community Calls to Action:

  • Lead specialized working groups (security, enterprise features, plugin standards, etc.)
  • Become a core maintainer and shape the platform's technical direction
  • Build vertical-specific solutions (education, healthcare, legal, creative, etc.)
  • Create integrations with other open source projects
  • Develop training programs and certification curricula
  • Share case studies of production deployments
  • Establish regional communities and meetups
  • Contribute to governance discussions and RFC processes

What Success Looks Like:

Development velocity has increased exponentially. Innovation happens at the edges, driven by diverse use cases we never imagined. The platform evolves through community consensus rather than central planning.

Most importantly: thousands of people are building, controlling, and benefiting from their own AI systems. Not ours. Theirs.

Join Us​

We're early in this process. This is your chance to get involved and truly shape the project. We're looking for developers who:

  • Are excited about BrainDrive’s mission and to build the future of user-owned AI
  • See the potential in what we're creating, even if it's rough around the edges

Sound like you? Check out our Contributor Guide to learn how to get started building with us today.

Stay Connected:

Your AI. Your Rules.