I use Grist as my 2nd brain: it is SO powerful. Think of it as an open-source Airtable/relational database that is extremely intuitive and user-friendly for the basic functions, but offers soooo much to developers, as you can use python for data fields/columns, python for reformatting static data, python for styling rows/cells/columns… including fetching data from public/open source databases (I use this to pull posters for media entries, for example, or prices and nutritional info for food). Then you can make and deploy custom widgets that refer to and manipulate (change/add/remove) data for anything you can imagine using HTML/CSS and the robust Grist API. All for free for non-commercial use, fully open source. Here’s what I currently use it for, so that I am not relying on 3rd party apps and subscriptions for basic life and business stuff:
- CRM, with contacts from multiple sources (iOS contacts, Google), with contacts linked to groups and families. Can track a history of communications, centralized (this is HUGE, since there are so many platforms we use for communicating these days: call, text, email, message on a social platform, message in Google Chat, Zoom… it goes on and on)
- Invoicing System
- Inventory System with Barcodes and Hierarchy/Containers
- All my media watchlists in one place
- ^^Tier Lists with a GUI for all media types
- Work History and Resume Generator
- Receipt Scanning
- Font Previews & Collections
- Travel Tracking with pins on a map
- Video Equipment Rental System (ShareGrid): tied to my inventory, with check out forms, etc
- Recipes
- Creative Project Development Tracking
- Keystrokes Tracker, so I can track conflicts and centralize any app-specific settings. Will soon be implementing a way to deploy keyboard settings to various apps (useful for freelancers who need to user company computers that might not have all their settings)
- Recurring Expenses Calendar
- Splitwise Alternative for Shared Expenses
- Keeping Track of all my “brands,” and their various social accounts, domains, styles, logo, fonts, etc
- Grocery Scanning/Inventory for Expiration Dates (WIP)
- Centralized “Wish List” the Aggregates from Amazon, BHPhoto, and submitted URLs (Instagram ads, products on other sites, etc)
- Database of Quotes
- Storing Fujifilm “Recipes”
- “Add Data” page where I can add data to any one of those databases in a quick, user-friendly manner
The frustrating thing about it is that I am a novice programmer, as my background is more in creative/front-end kind of stuff, and I am fairly new to homelab server stuff, and I want to keep my data secure. I’ve installed it on my Synology before, but remote access that I was comfortable with (Jump Desktop to connect to a machine on my network) is very clunky, and isn’t mobile-friendly. Grist runs great on mobile in browser, so you can easily create an “app” via Apple Shortcuts. But it’s useless if it’s only accessible on my home network, as I would just be using my laptop at home.
So right now I’m just using their desktop app, after many attempts to set up authentication with Grist (they offer a package that’s supposed to make this easy called “grist-omnibus,” which uses Traefik to enable Google account login). I’d love to get this working properly so that I can self-host Grist and access it anywhere, and utilize all of the wonderful features available when it’s hosted on the internet.
Grist is quickly growing in popularity, and I see it being more attractive than Airtable to even enterprise users. But especially for individuals and smaller businesses that can’t handle Airtable’s absurd fees.
Anyway, using Claude Sonnet 3.7 to try to figure this out, but I have really loved your videos and they’ve really helped a lot in setting up my NAS for my work and life, and this really seems up your alley and in your wheelhouse.
I think this software would very much appeal to your audience.