Why I Decided to Build an App That Doesn't Sell Your Data

Two years ago, while doing the weekly shop with my 5-year-old daughter, I had one of those moments that make you rethink everything. She picked up a box of cereal with a bright cartoon character on it and asked me: "Dad, is this cereal good for me?"

I didn't know what to answer. And I realized something worse: I didn't know how to teach her to make healthy choices in a world where everything is designed to manipulate our choices.

That night, I installed three different grocery list apps. All "free". All asking for access to my location, my contacts, my photo gallery. And then I understood something that sent a chill down my spine: these apps weren't there to help me. They were there to sell to me.

The Real Cost of "Free"

I started investigating. What I discovered scared me so much that I spent the next six months documenting it all:

"Free" grocery list apps don't make money from your subscription. They make money by selling everything you do to marketing companies. What you buy, when, where, how often. Your purchasing power. Your family's habits. Everything.

A detailed consumer profile is worth between 50 and 200 euros a year to advertising companies. You generate that value. But they keep the money.

I decided there had to be another way. A way where the product was truly the product. Where I paid a fair price and, in exchange, my privacy was total. Where I could teach my daughter about healthy eating without every click being monetized by a corporation.

Lucy (and SmartCart Family) is Born

Lucy, our 7-year-old protagonist who turns every food item into an adventure

The idea was simple in concept but complicated in execution: create an app that worked 100% offline. No servers. No analytics. No tracking. No lies.

But I didn't just want a grocery list. I wanted something that transformed that supermarket moment into an educational opportunity. Something that made my daughter excited to see broccoli instead of begging for candy.

That's how Lucy was born. A curious 7-year-old girl who lives adventures with every food item. Broccoli isn't just a green vegetable; it's Captain Broccoli, the superhero who protects your body. Eggs aren't boring; they are the Dancing Eggs who throw parties on your plate every morning.

The Moment of Truth

The first time I tested the app with my daughter, something magical happened. We were at the supermarket, and when we reached the vegetable section, she asked me: "Dad, can I read the broccoli story?"

She sat on the aisle floor (yes, that happened) and read the entire adventure of Captain Broccoli. When she finished, she grabbed a bag of broccoli and put it in the cart with a huge smile.

I knew we were onto something good.

The Philosophy: Privacy by Design

From day one, I established three unbreakable rules for SmartCart Family:

1. 100% Offline operation. If it doesn't need the internet to work, it shouldn't ask for it. Your data stays on your phone. Always.

2. No registration. I don't need your email. I don't need your name. I don't need anything from you except your trust that I'm going to do the right thing.

3. Radical transparency. If something changes, I'll tell you. If something goes wrong, I'll tell you. If I make a mistake, I'll tell you. No fine print. No traps.

This made development infinitely more complicated. Many developers told me I was crazy. That no one would pay for something others offered for "free". That people don't really value their privacy.

I believe they do. I believe people do value their privacy. It's just that no one had given them a real alternative.

The Price of Doing It Right

SmartCart Family costs €3.99 a month. Or €29.90 a year (only €2.49 a month) if you want to save 38%.

I could have done what everyone else does: "free" app and silent monetization. I would have made more money. Much more.

But then I would be betraying exactly what I started this for. I would be becoming what I wanted to change.

I prefer to be small, honest, and sleep well at night.

What If It Fails?

It's possible that SmartCart Family will fail. It's possible there aren't enough families willing to pay for their privacy. It's possible that huge corporations with million-dollar budgets will crush us.

But I prefer to try and fail doing the right thing, than succeed doing the wrong thing.

And something tells me I'm not alone. Something tells me there are thousands of parents out there who are also tired. Tired of being the product. Tired of their children being the target of manipulation algorithms.

Tired of everything having a hidden cost.

Join the Movement

SmartCart Family isn't just an app. It's a statement of intent. It's a way of saying: "My data is worth more than €2.49 a month. My family deserves better. And I am willing to pay for it."

If you've read this far, it's probably because you think something similar. And I would love for you to join us on this journey.

It won't be easy. We're going to compete against giants with infinite budgets. But we have something they will never have: the certainty that we are doing the right thing.

And that, in the end, is the only thing that matters.