Every NoteCompounds.

Frequently asked questions

01What is Compass?

Compass is a dedicated founder AI journaling app and note-taking system designed specifically for startup founders. It captures your thoughts in seconds (by typing or speaking), automatically organizes them, detects patterns across your notes over time, and turns your reflections into build-in-public content for X and LinkedIn.

02How much does Compass cost?

Compass has one subscription, Compass Pro, which you start inside the iPhone app and pay for through the App Store. 14-day free trial, then $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr. Everyone on the early access list keeps $9.99/mo for as long as their subscription stays active. Price will increase to $19.99/mo after the first 100 founding members. Join the early access list now and subscribe when Compass is live.

03What devices does Compass work on?

Compass is an iPhone app and needs iOS 17 or later. There is no Android, Mac or web version.

04How do I get access?

In early access on iPhone. Compass is not in the App Store yet. Join the early access list and we'll email you the moment Compass is live. Use the Google button or your email on this page; joining is free.

05How do founders use AI to organize their thinking?

Compass helps founders capture scattered thoughts throughout their day: product decisions, investor conversations, hiring plans, and competitive moves. The AI automatically organizes each note, then detects patterns across weeks. Instead of manually organizing notes into folders, the system surfaces connections and recurring themes you might miss.

06What's the best journaling app for startup founders?

Compass is purpose-built for how founders actually think. Unlike general journaling apps, it automatically organizes your notes, detects recurring patterns across your entries over weeks, surfaces insights you would miss, and turns private reflections into shareable build-in-public content. All without manual organization.

07How is Compass different from Notion or Apple Notes?

In Notion you design the workspace yourself: the pages, the databases and any AI autofill rules. In Apple Notes you file notes into folders you create and tags you type. Compass does the opposite: you capture a raw thought and AI handles the rest. It organizes your thinking automatically, detects patterns across notes over time, remembers key people and relationships, and generates content from your reflections. It thinks with you, not a blank page you have to structure yourself. Side by side: Compass vs Notion and Compass vs Apple Notes.

08Can AI detect patterns in your notes over time?

Yes. Compass reads across all your notes and detects recurring themes, concerns, and decisions you might not notice yourself. For example, it might surface that you've questioned your go-to-market strategy four times in two weeks, or that two contacts from different conversations could be introduced to each other. It turns scattered thinking into strategic clarity.

09What is build-in-public content and how do founders create it?

Build-in-public means sharing your startup journey openly (the real decisions, struggles, and lessons) on platforms like X and LinkedIn. Compass makes this effortless by turning your private founder notes into authentic, shareable content. Instead of staring at a blank tweet, your daily reflections become the raw material for posts, threads, and updates that resonate because they are genuinely yours.

10How does Compass protect my data?

Every note is encrypted with AES-256-GCM and stored as ciphertext in our database, so it is unreadable to anyone who gets at the database. OAuth tokens for connected platforms are separately encrypted using HKDF-derived keys, and all traffic runs over TLS. To power AI features, notes are decrypted in memory and the text is sent to our AI providers (Anthropic, Cloudflare, and AssemblyAI for longer recordings), which process it solely to return your result. We never sell your data. Our Privacy Policy lists every provider.

11Can I export my data?

Yes. Your notes live locally on your iPhone in SwiftData, protected by iOS's app sandbox and device-level encryption so nothing leaves your phone without your permission. When they sync to our servers they're stored encrypted (AES-256-GCM), so they are unreadable to anyone who gets at the database; they are decrypted in memory only to provide AI features. Export anytime as plain Markdown, the same format that works in Obsidian, Bear, or any text editor and will outlive any app, including ours. We follow the file over app philosophy: your thinking belongs to you, not to our platform.