Jan Handbook
Jan’s Handbook is inspired by Posthog and Gitlab. Thank you for showing us the way.
Welcome
This handbook explains how Jan works, and is public.
We’re building superintelligence that you can self-host and use locally. Not as a limitation, but as a feature. Your AI should work wherever you need it - on your laptop during a flight, on your company’s servers for compliance, or in the cloud for scale.
Jan’s Handbook is a living document, constantly evolving as we build the future of AI ownership.
The Jan Handbook
Why Jan exists
The fundamental problem we’re solving and why it matters.
How we got here
The journey that led us to building Jan.
How we grow
Our approach to sustainable growth and community building.
Who we’re building for
Understanding our users and their needs.
How we make users happy
Our approach to user success and satisfaction.
How we make money
Our business model and approach to sustainable revenue.
How we stay wide with small teams
Our approach to scaling impact without scaling bureaucracy.
How we build a world-class team
Our approach to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional talent.
Quick Links
- For new team members: Start with How we build a world-class team
- For contributors: Check out our GitHub and Discord
- For the curious: Read about Why Jan exists
Our North Star
We’re building superintelligence that:
- Works anywhere: From your laptop to your data center
- Belongs to you: Download it, own it, modify it
- Scales infinitely: One person or ten thousand, same platform
- Improves constantly: Community-driven development
This isn’t just about making AI accessible. It’s about ensuring the most transformative technology in human history can be owned by those who use it.
“The future of AI isn’t about choosing between local or cloud. It’s about having both, and everything in between, working perfectly together.”