From Startup Founders to Builders: How Atlas Suite Was Born

The Problem We Couldn't Ignore

When we co-founded OpStudio with the goal of bridging the gap between IT and OT (Operational Technology), we knew we'd face technical challenges. What we didn't expect was how much time we'd spend fighting our own tools.

As founders going through the StartIt@KBC program, we were juggling client work, product development, and the constant grind of documentation. And here's the thing about building software all day: you type. A lot. Documentation, emails, notes, code comments—the mental and physical drain adds up.

Then we noticed something. People around us—family, friends, colleagues—struggled to keep up with their thoughts when typing. Even us, developers who live in text editors, felt the friction. Why were we still typing everything when speaking is so much faster and less exhausting?

The tools that existed were either:

• Expensive – Monthly subscriptions eating into runway
• Privacy-invasive – Uploading everything to someone else's servers
• Limited – Usage caps that forced you to ration your productivity
• Overcomplicated – Built for enterprise, not individuals

Building Atlas Voice: Privacy First, Cost Never

Atlas Voice was born from a simple principle: transcription shouldn't compromise your privacy or your budget.

We built it to run completely offline using advanced on-device AI models. Your voice never leaves your computer. There's no cloud processing, no data collection, no subscription fees. Just fast, accurate transcription whenever you need it.

What we learned building Atlas Voice:

• Privacy isn't negotiable – The relief on people's faces when they realize their data stays local is real
• Free doesn't mean cheap – Professional-grade results are possible without compromising quality or adding paywalls
• Simple wins – A three-click workflow beats feature bloat every time

From Voice to Visibility: Atlas Warehouse

Our second pain point came from our client work in industrial and operational environments. When you're trying to bridge IT and OT, you quickly realize that warehouses and production floors are full of invisible problems.

Quality issues that go unnoticed. Inventory that's in the wrong place. Processes that could be optimized but nobody has the data to prove it. The guidance from VOKA and StartIt@KBC helped us see this wasn't just a technical problem—it was an opportunity to bring real visibility to operations.

That's why we're building Atlas Warehouse—advanced computer vision technology that helps you see beyond the shelves, catch what's wrong, and track what matters. It's currently in development, shaped by the real operational challenges we encounter every day in our custom software work.

Why We Build in Public

The Atlas Suite represents what we've learned as founders who became builders:

• Scratch your own itch – The best products solve problems you actually have
• Give back – We've benefited from open source and free tools; it's time to contribute
• Stay grounded – Building tools for ourselves keeps us focused on what actually matters
• Learn by doing – Every product teaches us something that makes our client work better

Our approach remains grounded in solving real problems with thoughtful software, whether through our custom development work or the tools we build for the community.

What's Next

We're continuing to work on custom software development for our clients while building out the Atlas Suite. Every project we take on informs the tools we build, and every tool we build makes us better at our client work.

If you've struggled with the same pain points—expensive tools, privacy concerns, or operational visibility—we'd love to hear from you. Whether you want to try Atlas Voice, join the Atlas Warehouse waitlist, or just share your own experiences, we're always learning.