OpenWork growth playbook

Today, change the homepage Windows link to the x64 installer. Then make the hero buttons architecture-aware: detect OS and architecture in the browser (Chromium browsers report architecture through User-Agent Client Hints), default to x64 when unsure, and add an "Other builds" link to /download. Give /download the same detection so it highlights one recommended build and tucks the others away. Finally, generate the homepage and /download links from the release manifest in the release workflow, so each weekly version updates them automatically and a check fails if the default Windows link points at an ARM64 file. Track download clicks and first launches by OS and architecture in PostHog, which the site already runs.

For a free desktop app, the download button is the top of the funnel. A failed install never shows up as an error in web analytics; it looks like a visitor who simply did not convert. With ten releases in five weeks, a hand-edited link will drift again unless the links are generated. Windows laptops are also where most IT-managed seats sit, so these are the users most likely to become Team and Enterprise seats.

[ ] Homepage Windows button -> openwork-win-x64-<version>.exe
[ ] Homepage macOS button -> detected Apple Silicon or Intel .dmg
[ ] Homepage Linux button -> x86_64 AppImage (ARM64 offered when detected)
[ ] "Other builds" link -> /download
[ ] /download highlights one recommended build
[ ] Links generated from the release manifest
[ ] Release fails if the default Windows link is ARM64
[ ] PostHog: download_clicked {os, arch}, first_launch {os, arch}

• Detection is wrong on some browsers

  Default to x64 and always show the other builds one click away.

• Windows on ARM users get the x64 build

  Offer ARM64 when the browser reports it; Windows on ARM can also run x64 apps under emulation.

• Your websiteHomepage (checked twice on November 9, 2026): H1 "Sovereign AI for knowledge workers" and subhead "Your AI workspace. Without vendor lock-in."; the hero platform links read macOS (to /download), Windows and Linux, but the Windows link downloads "openwork-win-arm64-0.18.65.exe", the ARM64 build, while the Linux link is the x86_64 AppImage; badges "Backed by YCombinator", "SOC 2 Type II" and 24.5K GitHub stars; "Free & open source · No account required to start"; "Talk to sales" opens a Google Calendar booking page; no customer logos, testimonials or newsletter signup.Source
• Your websiteDownload page: separate Windows "x64 Installer" and "ARM64 Installer", macOS Apple Silicon and Intel builds and four Linux builds (v0.18.65); no automatic platform detection and no guidance on which build to choose beyond the label "Apple Silicon (M1+)".Source
• Your websiteChangelog: ten releases from October 3 to November 5, 2026 (v0.18.56 to v0.18.65), including one-prompt migration of Claude Cowork and Code setups (v0.18.57), self-hosted OpenWork Web and team tools on AWS (v0.18.58), OneDrive and SharePoint files (v0.18.62), importing Claude chats into workspaces (v0.18.63) and Mac computer use across apps (v0.18.65); no RSS feed or email subscription.Source

Put the download count (updated from release stats) next to the stars on the homepage and enterprise page. Ask Team and self-hosted users for three short stories, with permission: what they replaced, how many seats, which models and how they use spend limits. Add a logo row once two teams agree, and put one quote each on /pricing and the Cowork comparison page.

Peer proof is what turns a good feature table into a booked demo, and the download number already exists.

• Teams won't be named

  Publish anonymised stories by role and industry until they agree.

• HiringFounding Engineer (San Francisco, in person, $150K-$200K, 3-5% equity): works across the desktop app, agent runtime, browser automation, MCP and tool integrations, local permissions, cloud sync, realtime collaboration and plugin and skill infrastructure, shipping within 30 days and owning a major area within 60-90 days; the post says the app has been downloaded "close to 200k times".Source
• Your websiteHomepage (checked twice on November 9, 2026): H1 "Sovereign AI for knowledge workers" and subhead "Your AI workspace. Without vendor lock-in."; the hero platform links read macOS (to /download), Windows and Linux, but the Windows link downloads "openwork-win-arm64-0.18.65.exe", the ARM64 build, while the Linux link is the x86_64 AppImage; badges "Backed by YCombinator", "SOC 2 Type II" and 24.5K GitHub stars; "Free & open source · No account required to start"; "Talk to sales" opens a Google Calendar booking page; no customer logos, testimonials or newsletter signup.Source
• Your websiteEnterprise page: "AI your team wants. Control IT needs." for IT and security leaders: SSO, SCIM, per-team spend limits that warn at 90% and pause at 100%, providers such as AWS Bedrock, and self-hosting; model-gateway support for other coding agents is "still in progress"; every "Book a demo" goes to a calendar page; no named customers, logos or case studies.Source

Add a short FAQ covering the difference between Team and the OpenWork models add-on, what free self-hosting includes, what happens at the sixth user, and how billing works. Offer an annual Team price alongside monthly, use "per user" everywhere, and embed the cost calculator on /pricing and /enterprise.

Clear totals remove the most common objection before a call, and an annual option improves cash and retention for a small team.

• Annual discount lowers revenue per seat

  Keep the discount small and test it on new teams only.

• Your websitePricing page: Free at $0 for "up to 5 users"; Team at "$10 per user / month" with SSO/SAML, Extension Marketplace, cloud automations and "Basic usage analytics", "Billed monthly. Cancel anytime."; Enterprise at "Custom pricing" with SCIM, white-labeling and bring-your-own inference, "Annual contract with a 60-day opt-out"; add-ons "OpenWork Cloud Computer" at $50 per member a month and "OpenWork models" at $10 per user a month; no FAQ, no annual Team price and no Team trial; self-hosting can be evaluated free for 30 days at any size.Source
• Your websiteClaude Cowork comparison page: "The free, open-source alternative to Claude Cowork"; a 25-row feature table (OpenWork 18 Yes plus 6 Partial, Claude Enterprise 19 Yes plus 2 Partial) checked against vendor docs on 2026-10-27; an illustrative 50-person, 3-year cost calculator (about $180,000 against about $72,900 on the same model); "No account needed"; no named customers or quotes.Source
• Product Hunt59 points and "No reviews yet", launched in 2026; commenters asked whether it is "safe", what it costs to run compared with Claude Cowork, and whether it works with Slack or Notion.Source

Put a three-question step before the calendar: team size, how they plan to deploy (desktop, Cloud or self-hosted) and which model providers they use. Teams under six get the free Cloud link and a setup guide; teams of 50 or more go to the founder's calendar. Every booking arrives with a prep summary.

Short qualifying forms barely reduce bookings and make each call better prepared, which matters most when founders run every call.

• Fewer bookings

  Keep it to three questions and compare bookings for two weeks.

• Your websiteHomepage (checked twice on November 9, 2026): H1 "Sovereign AI for knowledge workers" and subhead "Your AI workspace. Without vendor lock-in."; the hero platform links read macOS (to /download), Windows and Linux, but the Windows link downloads "openwork-win-arm64-0.18.65.exe", the ARM64 build, while the Linux link is the x86_64 AppImage; badges "Backed by YCombinator", "SOC 2 Type II" and 24.5K GitHub stars; "Free & open source · No account required to start"; "Talk to sales" opens a Google Calendar booking page; no customer logos, testimonials or newsletter signup.Source
• Your websiteEnterprise page: "AI your team wants. Control IT needs." for IT and security leaders: SSO, SCIM, per-team spend limits that warn at 90% and pause at 100%, providers such as AWS Bedrock, and self-hosting; model-gateway support for other coding agents is "still in progress"; every "Book a demo" goes to a calendar page; no named customers, logos or case studies.Source
• HiringDesign Engineer - SF ($130K-$200K, 1-5% equity) is also open; YC lists OpenWork as founded in 2026, Spring 2026 batch, a team of 4 in San Francisco, with LinkedIn and X (@getopenwork) profiles.Source
• Your websiteSince April 2026 the homepage headline changed from "The open source Claude Cowork for your team" to "Your AI workspace. Without vendor lock-in.", the starting price from $50 a month to $10 per user, and sales booking from Cal.com to a Google appointment schedule; the page title still reads "OpenWork — Free, open-source Claude Cowork alternative".Source

Keep the high-intent "open-source alternative" phrase in the homepage title, and repeat it visibly near the H1 so the click and the page match. Leave the vendor-specific keyword to /alternatives/claude-cowork. Give /enterprise and /shadow-ai their own governance-focused titles and descriptions.

When the snippet and the page match, more searchers click and fewer bounce, and AI summaries describe the product the same way.

• Losing a ranking

  Keep the current keyword in the title and change only the page body first.

• Your websiteSince April 2026 the homepage headline changed from "The open source Claude Cowork for your team" to "Your AI workspace. Without vendor lock-in.", the starting price from $50 a month to $10 per user, and sales booking from Cal.com to a Google appointment schedule; the page title still reads "OpenWork — Free, open-source Claude Cowork alternative".Source
• Your websiteHomepage (checked twice on November 9, 2026): H1 "Sovereign AI for knowledge workers" and subhead "Your AI workspace. Without vendor lock-in."; the hero platform links read macOS (to /download), Windows and Linux, but the Windows link downloads "openwork-win-arm64-0.18.65.exe", the ARM64 build, while the Linux link is the x86_64 AppImage; badges "Backed by YCombinator", "SOC 2 Type II" and 24.5K GitHub stars; "Free & open source · No account required to start"; "Talk to sales" opens a Google Calendar booking page; no customer logos, testimonials or newsletter signup.Source
• Your websiteClaude Cowork comparison page: "The free, open-source alternative to Claude Cowork"; a 25-row feature table (OpenWork 18 Yes plus 6 Partial, Claude Enterprise 19 Yes plus 2 Partial) checked against vendor docs on 2026-10-27; an illustrative 50-person, 3-year cost calculator (about $180,000 against about $72,900 on the same model); "No account needed"; no named customers or quotes.Source

Add an RSS feed and an email signup to the changelog, /download and an in-app "What's new" panel. Send a short monthly digest of the three biggest releases, each with a one-line "try this" and a link to share with a team. Offer an optional email field at first launch, never required.

A release is the cheapest reason to bring a lapsed user back, and an opted-in email list is the first owned channel for a product that needs no account.

• Seen as tracking in a privacy-first product

  Keep it opt-in, separate from the app, with one-click unsubscribe.

• Your websiteChangelog: ten releases from October 3 to November 5, 2026 (v0.18.56 to v0.18.65), including one-prompt migration of Claude Cowork and Code setups (v0.18.57), self-hosted OpenWork Web and team tools on AWS (v0.18.58), OneDrive and SharePoint files (v0.18.62), importing Claude chats into workspaces (v0.18.63) and Mac computer use across apps (v0.18.65); no RSS feed or email subscription.Source
• Your websiteHomepage (checked twice on November 9, 2026): H1 "Sovereign AI for knowledge workers" and subhead "Your AI workspace. Without vendor lock-in."; the hero platform links read macOS (to /download), Windows and Linux, but the Windows link downloads "openwork-win-arm64-0.18.65.exe", the ARM64 build, while the Linux link is the x86_64 AppImage; badges "Backed by YCombinator", "SOC 2 Type II" and 24.5K GitHub stars; "Free & open source · No account required to start"; "Talk to sales" opens a Google Calendar booking page; no customer logos, testimonials or newsletter signup.Source
• HiringFounding Engineer (San Francisco, in person, $150K-$200K, 3-5% equity): works across the desktop app, agent runtime, browser automation, MCP and tool integrations, local permissions, cloud sync, realtime collaboration and plugin and skill infrastructure, shipping within 30 days and owning a major area within 60-90 days; the post says the app has been downloaded "close to 200k times".Source

Create a /license page with a table: component, licence, what you can do free, what needs a subscription. Add a short FAQ (can I fork it, can I self-host for 50 people, what happens after 30 days). Link it from the open-source badge, /pricing, /enterprise and the README.

For an open-source alternative, licence clarity is part of the product promise; making it explicit removes a common blocker in security and legal review.

• Highlighting the source-available part

  Lead with what is MIT and free; be plain about the rest.

• GitHubRepository different-ai/openwork: 24.5k stars, 2.5k forks, 82 open issues and 331 open pull requests; the licence is split: "Everything outside `ee/` is MIT", code in ee/ is under the source-available OpenWork EE License, and versions released before that remain FSL-1.1-MIT; the README links no Discord, forum or X account.Source
• Your websitePricing page: Free at $0 for "up to 5 users"; Team at "$10 per user / month" with SSO/SAML, Extension Marketplace, cloud automations and "Basic usage analytics", "Billed monthly. Cancel anytime."; Enterprise at "Custom pricing" with SCIM, white-labeling and bring-your-own inference, "Annual contract with a 60-day opt-out"; add-ons "OpenWork Cloud Computer" at $50 per member a month and "OpenWork models" at $10 per user a month; no FAQ, no annual Team price and no Team trial; self-hosting can be evaluated free for 30 days at any size.Source
• Your websiteHomepage (checked twice on November 9, 2026): H1 "Sovereign AI for knowledge workers" and subhead "Your AI workspace. Without vendor lock-in."; the hero platform links read macOS (to /download), Windows and Linux, but the Windows link downloads "openwork-win-arm64-0.18.65.exe", the ARM64 build, while the Linux link is the x86_64 AppImage; badges "Backed by YCombinator", "SOC 2 Type II" and 24.5K GitHub stars; "Free & open source · No account required to start"; "Talk to sales" opens a Google Calendar booking page; no customer logos, testimonials or newsletter signup.Source

Add Organization structured data (name, legal name Different AI, logo, and sameAs links to GitHub, YC, LinkedIn and X). Put social links in the site footer and the README. Use one consistent descriptor everywhere ("OpenWork, the open-source AI workspace"), and make sure job posts link back to openworklabs.com.

Clear entity signals help search engines and assistants attach the brand to the right company, which protects branded search as awareness grows.

• Name confusion persists

  Use "OpenWork AI" or the full descriptor in titles where needed.

• Brand researchThe name is shared: the Greenhouse job board at job-boards.greenhouse.io/openwork belongs to an unrelated staffing firm ("Modern Day Staffing, Reimagined") with 17 openings, mostly in Georgia and Texas; OpenWork's own footer reads "© 2026 Different AI".Source
• HiringDesign Engineer - SF ($130K-$200K, 1-5% equity) is also open; YC lists OpenWork as founded in 2026, Spring 2026 batch, a team of 4 in San Francisco, with LinkedIn and X (@getopenwork) profiles.Source
• GitHubRepository different-ai/openwork: 24.5k stars, 2.5k forks, 82 open issues and 331 open pull requests; the licence is split: "Everything outside `ee/` is MIT", code in ee/ is under the source-available OpenWork EE License, and versions released before that remain FSL-1.1-MIT; the README links no Discord, forum or X account.Source

Run a two-week triage sprint: label every PR, merge the small ones, close stale ones with a thank-you, and pin a CONTRIBUTING guide that says which areas accept outside work. Then set a 48-hour first-reply rule (a bot acknowledgement plus a human within two days), a weekly review hour and a monthly "good first issue" list. Once hired, the Founding Engineer owns plugin and skill contributions.

Contributors who get a fast first review come back; each merged contributor is also a public advocate.

• Review time slows product work

  Cap it at a weekly hour and close out-of-scope PRs quickly.

• GitHubRepository different-ai/openwork: 24.5k stars, 2.5k forks, 82 open issues and 331 open pull requests; the licence is split: "Everything outside `ee/` is MIT", code in ee/ is under the source-available OpenWork EE License, and versions released before that remain FSL-1.1-MIT; the README links no Discord, forum or X account.Source
• Competitor researchAnythingLLM: "Own your intelligence.", a free MIT-licensed desktop app with "67k+" GitHub stars, 200+ contributors and a logo row; goose: "Your open source AI agent", maintained by the Agentic AI Foundation (Linux Foundation), with 55k+ stars, 600+ contributors, a Discord, an extensions directory, a community spotlight and shareable "Recipes".See the research Source
• HiringFounding Engineer (San Francisco, in person, $150K-$200K, 3-5% equity): works across the desktop app, agent runtime, browser automation, MCP and tool integrations, local permissions, cloud sync, realtime collaboration and plugin and skill infrastructure, shipping within 30 days and owning a major area within 60-90 days; the post says the app has been downloaded "close to 200k times".Source

Pick one space (GitHub Discussions is enough to start, or Discord), seed it with channels for help, skills and templates, and show-and-tell, and link it from the app's help menu, the footer, /download and the README. Hold a monthly 30-minute community call to demo the latest release. Turn repeated questions into docs.

A visible community answers questions faster than a team of four can, and it gives the product a public pulse that buyers notice.

• A quiet space looks worse than none

  Start with Discussions and commit to same-day replies.

• GitHubRepository different-ai/openwork: 24.5k stars, 2.5k forks, 82 open issues and 331 open pull requests; the licence is split: "Everything outside `ee/` is MIT", code in ee/ is under the source-available OpenWork EE License, and versions released before that remain FSL-1.1-MIT; the README links no Discord, forum or X account.Source
• Competitor researchAnythingLLM: "Own your intelligence.", a free MIT-licensed desktop app with "67k+" GitHub stars, 200+ contributors and a logo row; goose: "Your open source AI agent", maintained by the Agentic AI Foundation (Linux Foundation), with 55k+ stars, 600+ contributors, a Discord, an extensions directory, a community spotlight and shareable "Recipes".See the research Source
• Product Hunt59 points and "No reviews yet", launched in 2026; commenters asked whether it is "safe", what it costs to run compared with Claude Cowork, and whether it works with Slack or Notion.Source
• Your websiteRoadmap (updated October 27): shipped since August are AI Gateway spend limits by team, desktop policies, OpenWork Web, automations, audit logs and OpenWork in Slack; planned are a phone app, admin roles, the AI Gateway from other coding agents, approvals mid-run and failure and spend reporting by skill, connection and team; there is no voting, only a "Share feedback" form.Source

Add a "Share with my team" action next to every skill, MCP and workspace in the desktop app. It creates a free Cloud org in one step and produces an invite link. At the fifth member, show what Team adds (unlimited users, SSO, cloud automations) with a one-click upgrade. Measure how many desktop installs reach a shared org.

The upgrade trigger for a free desktop agent is collaboration, not usage limits, and every share brings in a new user by invitation.

• Users resent account prompts

  Only show it when they choose to share; local use stays account-free.

• Your websiteHomepage (checked twice on November 9, 2026): H1 "Sovereign AI for knowledge workers" and subhead "Your AI workspace. Without vendor lock-in."; the hero platform links read macOS (to /download), Windows and Linux, but the Windows link downloads "openwork-win-arm64-0.18.65.exe", the ARM64 build, while the Linux link is the x86_64 AppImage; badges "Backed by YCombinator", "SOC 2 Type II" and 24.5K GitHub stars; "Free & open source · No account required to start"; "Talk to sales" opens a Google Calendar booking page; no customer logos, testimonials or newsletter signup.Source
• Your websitePricing page: Free at $0 for "up to 5 users"; Team at "$10 per user / month" with SSO/SAML, Extension Marketplace, cloud automations and "Basic usage analytics", "Billed monthly. Cancel anytime."; Enterprise at "Custom pricing" with SCIM, white-labeling and bring-your-own inference, "Annual contract with a 60-day opt-out"; add-ons "OpenWork Cloud Computer" at $50 per member a month and "OpenWork models" at $10 per user a month; no FAQ, no annual Team price and no Team trial; self-hosting can be evaluated free for 30 days at any size.Source
• Your websiteCloud page: "OpenWork Cloud — the dashboard for your whole org": org-wide skills and MCP servers, central model provisioning, role-based access, usage and audit views, and "Shareable workspace templates" that bundle skills and MCPs into a link; the free plan covers up to 5 users.Source

Package the policy builder output, the rollout checklist and a one-page spend-limit plan into an editable kit (doc and PDF). Keep the web versions open, and offer the editable kit in return for a work email. Follow up with one useful email a week for three weeks (policy, rollout, spend) ending in a pilot offer.

IT leaders need a policy before they need a tool; owning that first step puts OpenWork on the shortlist.

• Gating hurts SEO

  Keep the web pages open; gate only the editable file.

• Your websiteShadow AI page: "Shadow AI governance. Keep work moving." for IT, security and compliance leaders, linking an AI governance guide, an AI usage policy builder and an on-page rollout checklist, none of which asks for an email address.Source
• Your websiteEnterprise page: "AI your team wants. Control IT needs." for IT and security leaders: SSO, SCIM, per-team spend limits that warn at 90% and pause at 100%, providers such as AWS Bedrock, and self-hosting; model-gateway support for other coding agents is "still in progress"; every "Book a demo" goes to a calendar page; no named customers, logos or case studies.Source

Publish fair, dated comparison pages against goose and AnythingLLM, using the same table format and citing each tool's own docs. Lead with OpenWork's differentiators: team sharing of skills and MCPs, one MCP URL for every agent, spend limits and a self-hostable control plane. Add a hub page that lists every comparison.

Comparison searches are high intent, and fair tables also teach AI assistants how the tools differ.

• Claims go out of date

  Date each page and recheck quarterly.

• Your websiteSitemap (22 URLs, checked November 9, 2026): the homepage, two /alternatives pages (claude-cowork and claude-cowork-3p), four guides, /glm-5.2, /connect, /cloud, /dashboard, /download, /enterprise, /shadow-ai, /ai-governance, /pricing, /roadmap, /privacy and /terms; no blog, no customer stories and no comparison with any tool other than Claude Cowork; the docs (about 810 pages) are the only other content.Source
• Competitor researchAnythingLLM: "Own your intelligence.", a free MIT-licensed desktop app with "67k+" GitHub stars, 200+ contributors and a logo row; goose: "Your open source AI agent", maintained by the Agentic AI Foundation (Linux Foundation), with 55k+ stars, 600+ contributors, a Discord, an extensions directory, a community spotlight and shareable "Recipes".See the research Source
• Your websiteClaude Cowork comparison page: "The free, open-source alternative to Claude Cowork"; a 25-row feature table (OpenWork 18 Yes plus 6 Partial, Claude Enterprise 19 Yes plus 2 Partial) checked against vendor docs on 2026-10-27; an illustrative 50-person, 3-year cost calculator (about $180,000 against about $72,900 on the same model); "No account needed"; no named customers or quotes.Source

Build a /switch landing page: what moves (skills, plugins, chats), what changes, a 10-minute video of a real migration, and the cost calculator. Target team admins already on the incumbent tool through LinkedIn posts, community threads and a switcher office hour every two weeks. Track migrations completed as the success event.

Switching cost is the main barrier for teams already set up elsewhere, and OpenWork has removed it; the campaign just has to say so.

• Migration fails for some setups

  Log failures and fix the top three before promoting widely.

• Your websiteChangelog: ten releases from October 3 to November 5, 2026 (v0.18.56 to v0.18.65), including one-prompt migration of Claude Cowork and Code setups (v0.18.57), self-hosted OpenWork Web and team tools on AWS (v0.18.58), OneDrive and SharePoint files (v0.18.62), importing Claude chats into workspaces (v0.18.63) and Mac computer use across apps (v0.18.65); no RSS feed or email subscription.Source
• Your websiteClaude Cowork comparison page: "The free, open-source alternative to Claude Cowork"; a 25-row feature table (OpenWork 18 Yes plus 6 Partial, Claude Enterprise 19 Yes plus 2 Partial) checked against vendor docs on 2026-10-27; an illustrative 50-person, 3-year cost calculator (about $180,000 against about $72,900 on the same model); "No account needed"; no named customers or quotes.Source

Launch /templates: a searchable gallery of workspace templates by job (weekly team update from project tools and Drive, sales call prep, support triage, finance close). Each template gets its own indexable page with what it does, which connections it needs and a one-click "Use this template" that installs or opens Cloud. Let users submit their own, credited.

Each template is a landing page for a specific search and an invite when someone shares it, so the gallery grows both search traffic and word of mouth.

• Low-quality submissions

  Review before listing and badge verified templates.

• #11 Offer the free Cloud plan at the moment a desktop user shares a skill

• Your websiteCloud page: "OpenWork Cloud — the dashboard for your whole org": org-wide skills and MCP servers, central model provisioning, role-based access, usage and audit views, and "Shareable workspace templates" that bundle skills and MCPs into a link; the free plan covers up to 5 users.Source
• Your websiteMCP Gateway page: "Add one URL. Use your MCPs in every app." for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, OpenCode, Gemini CLI and ChatGPT; Solo free, Team $10 per user a month.Source
• Competitor researchAnythingLLM: "Own your intelligence.", a free MIT-licensed desktop app with "67k+" GitHub stars, 200+ contributors and a logo row; goose: "Your open source AI agent", maintained by the Agentic AI Foundation (Linux Foundation), with 55k+ stars, 600+ contributors, a Discord, an extensions directory, a community spotlight and shareable "Recipes".See the research Source
• Your websiteSitemap (22 URLs, checked November 9, 2026): the homepage, two /alternatives pages (claude-cowork and claude-cowork-3p), four guides, /glm-5.2, /connect, /cloud, /dashboard, /download, /enterprise, /shadow-ai, /ai-governance, /pricing, /roadmap, /privacy and /terms; no blog, no customer stories and no comparison with any tool other than Claude Cowork; the docs (about 810 pages) are the only other content.Source

Redesign the first five minutes: a one-screen explanation of what the agent can and cannot touch (chosen folders, ask before actions), a choice between a local model with no key, your own key or managed models, and one guided starter task on a sample folder that completes in under two minutes. Measure the share of installs that finish a first task.

Trust and a fast first success are what turn an install into a habit, and both are design problems more than feature gaps.

• Local models are slow on older laptops

  Recommend managed or own-key when hardware is limited.

• Product Hunt59 points and "No reviews yet", launched in 2026; commenters asked whether it is "safe", what it costs to run compared with Claude Cowork, and whether it works with Slack or Notion.Source
• Your websiteGuides: four pages covering OpenCode, other coding agents via one MCP URL, Ollama (local agents on your own files with no API key) and "How do you keep AI agent costs under control?".Source
• HiringDesign Engineer - SF ($130K-$200K, 1-5% equity) is also open; YC lists OpenWork as founded in 2026, Spring 2026 batch, a team of 4 in San Francisco, with LinkedIn and X (@getopenwork) profiles.Source
• HiringFounding Engineer (San Francisco, in person, $150K-$200K, 3-5% equity): works across the desktop app, agent runtime, browser automation, MCP and tool integrations, local permissions, cloud sync, realtime collaboration and plugin and skill infrastructure, shipping within 30 days and owning a major area within 60-90 days; the post says the app has been downloaded "close to 200k times".Source

Set long cache lifetimes on hashed static assets, load the interactive app demo and the copy-prompt widget only when they scroll into view, and drop unused JavaScript from the homepage bundle. Fix the one colour-contrast issue at the same time.

A snappy page fits a product sold on speed and polish, and the fixes are routine in Next.js.

• Demo appears late

  Reserve its space and show a static frame first.

• Google PageSpeedTested November 10, 2026: mobile score 90 and desktop 69 (desktop total blocking time 1,808 ms); lab mobile LCP 2.8 s; real visitors pass Core Web Vitals (LCP 1.3 s, INP 121 ms, CLS 0); the biggest fixes are cache lifetimes (about 0.6 s) and 136 KB of unused JavaScript; one colour-contrast issue.Source

Add votes to roadmap items (each vote asks for an email). Tag each item with the requests behind it, and when it ships, email those voters with a one-line how-to. Mark shipped items with their release version and link the changelog entry.

Hearing "you asked, we shipped" is one of the strongest retention moments for an open-source product, and it builds the email list.

• Votes skew to loud users

  Weigh votes alongside Team and Enterprise needs.

• #6 Turn the weekly release train into a weekly email

• Your websiteRoadmap (updated October 27): shipped since August are AI Gateway spend limits by team, desktop policies, OpenWork Web, automations, audit logs and OpenWork in Slack; planned are a phone app, admin roles, the AI Gateway from other coding agents, approvals mid-run and failure and spend reporting by skill, connection and team; there is no voting, only a "Share feedback" form.Source
• Your websiteChangelog: ten releases from October 3 to November 5, 2026 (v0.18.56 to v0.18.65), including one-prompt migration of Claude Cowork and Code setups (v0.18.57), self-hosted OpenWork Web and team tools on AWS (v0.18.58), OneDrive and SharePoint files (v0.18.62), importing Claude chats into workspaces (v0.18.63) and Mac computer use across apps (v0.18.65); no RSS feed or email subscription.Source

Turn the launch page into a template. For each notable open-model release, publish a page within 48 hours with a short benchmark on real OpenWork tasks, a time-limited usage boost and an in-app banner for users on their own keys. Track add-on attach rate per launch.

Launch moments bring searches and attention; pairing them with a no-keys trial lifts add-on revenue without discounting Team.

• Usage boosts cost money

  Time-limit them and cap usage per seat.

• Your websiteModel launch page: "GLM 5.2 is now in OpenWork — with 2x usage", promoting OpenWork Models, managed access to third-party open models at $10 per user a month, with repeated sign-up CTAs.Source
• Your websitePricing page: Free at $0 for "up to 5 users"; Team at "$10 per user / month" with SSO/SAML, Extension Marketplace, cloud automations and "Basic usage analytics", "Billed monthly. Cancel anytime."; Enterprise at "Custom pricing" with SCIM, white-labeling and bring-your-own inference, "Annual contract with a 60-day opt-out"; add-ons "OpenWork Cloud Computer" at $50 per member a month and "OpenWork models" at $10 per user a month; no FAQ, no annual Team price and no Team trial; self-hosting can be evaluated free for 30 days at any size.Source

Define a fixed 30-day pilot: one department of 25 to 100 people, SSO, two approved providers, spend limits, three shared templates and a weekly usage report. It ends with a readout on adoption, spend against budget and shadow-AI reduction. Recruit three design partners at a reduced first-year price in exchange for a case study, and publish the pilot as a page.

A clear pilot shortens the enterprise cycle for a small team, and the design partners become the proof idea 2 needs.

• Pilots drift without an owner

  Require a named sponsor and fixed success criteria before starting.

• #2 Show the 200k downloads and real team stories where buyers decide
• #12 Turn the AI usage policy builder into a downloadable kit for IT leaders

• Your websitePricing page: Free at $0 for "up to 5 users"; Team at "$10 per user / month" with SSO/SAML, Extension Marketplace, cloud automations and "Basic usage analytics", "Billed monthly. Cancel anytime."; Enterprise at "Custom pricing" with SCIM, white-labeling and bring-your-own inference, "Annual contract with a 60-day opt-out"; add-ons "OpenWork Cloud Computer" at $50 per member a month and "OpenWork models" at $10 per user a month; no FAQ, no annual Team price and no Team trial; self-hosting can be evaluated free for 30 days at any size.Source
• Your websiteEnterprise page: "AI your team wants. Control IT needs." for IT and security leaders: SSO, SCIM, per-team spend limits that warn at 90% and pause at 100%, providers such as AWS Bedrock, and self-hosting; model-gateway support for other coding agents is "still in progress"; every "Book a demo" goes to a calendar page; no named customers, logos or case studies.Source

Package the self-hosted edition as a marketplace listing, starting with AWS, with Team and Enterprise pricing through the marketplace and a deployment template. Add the listing link to /enterprise and the pilot page. Then evaluate the other major cloud marketplaces based on where pilots run.

Buying through an existing cloud account removes procurement steps, which matters most for a young vendor without a track record.

• Effort for a four-person team

  Start only after the first pilot asks to buy through its cloud account.

• #20 A packaged 30-day governed pilot, proven with three design partners

• Your websiteChangelog: ten releases from October 3 to November 5, 2026 (v0.18.56 to v0.18.65), including one-prompt migration of Claude Cowork and Code setups (v0.18.57), self-hosted OpenWork Web and team tools on AWS (v0.18.58), OneDrive and SharePoint files (v0.18.62), importing Claude chats into workspaces (v0.18.63) and Mac computer use across apps (v0.18.65); no RSS feed or email subscription.Source
• Your websiteEnterprise page: "AI your team wants. Control IT needs." for IT and security leaders: SSO, SCIM, per-team spend limits that warn at 90% and pause at 100%, providers such as AWS Bedrock, and self-hosting; model-gateway support for other coding agents is "still in progress"; every "Book a demo" goes to a calendar page; no named customers, logos or case studies.Source
• Your websitePricing page: Free at $0 for "up to 5 users"; Team at "$10 per user / month" with SSO/SAML, Extension Marketplace, cloud automations and "Basic usage analytics", "Billed monthly. Cancel anytime."; Enterprise at "Custom pricing" with SCIM, white-labeling and bring-your-own inference, "Annual contract with a 60-day opt-out"; add-ons "OpenWork Cloud Computer" at $50 per member a month and "OpenWork models" at $10 per user a month; no FAQ, no annual Team price and no Team trial; self-hosting can be evaluated free for 30 days at any size.Source

With explicit opt-in and aggregation (no customer names, minimum group sizes), publish a report twice a year: spend per seat by team type, the mix of open and closed models, how often limits trigger and what the cheapest teams do differently. Release it with a public benchmark tool where admins compare their own numbers.

Original data earns links, press and AI-assistant citations, and it positions OpenWork as the authority on governed AI spend, which is exactly what it sells.

• Not enough opted-in data

  Start with a survey of admins and add gateway data as opt-ins grow.

• Your websiteEnterprise page: "AI your team wants. Control IT needs." for IT and security leaders: SSO, SCIM, per-team spend limits that warn at 90% and pause at 100%, providers such as AWS Bedrock, and self-hosting; model-gateway support for other coding agents is "still in progress"; every "Book a demo" goes to a calendar page; no named customers, logos or case studies.Source
• Your websiteRoadmap (updated October 27): shipped since August are AI Gateway spend limits by team, desktop policies, OpenWork Web, automations, audit logs and OpenWork in Slack; planned are a phone app, admin roles, the AI Gateway from other coding agents, approvals mid-run and failure and spend reporting by skill, connection and team; there is no voting, only a "Share feedback" form.Source
• Your websiteGuides: four pages covering OpenCode, other coding agents via one MCP URL, Ollama (local agents on your own files with no API key) and "How do you keep AI agent costs under control?".Source

Relaunch OpenWork Cloud and the team product as a new launch: a short demo of sharing a template with a team, governance in one screen and the free plan for 5 users. Before launch day, ask the most active users and contributors to leave reviews on the existing page. Use the launch to drive template-gallery and Cloud signups.

A relaunch with a real story and existing reviews reaches the early-adopter audience a second time, now with something for teams.

• A flat launch

  Launch only after the email list and community are in place.

• #6 Turn the weekly release train into a weekly email
• #10 Give users a place to talk: one community space linked from the app, the site and the README

• Product Hunt59 points and "No reviews yet", launched in 2026; commenters asked whether it is "safe", what it costs to run compared with Claude Cowork, and whether it works with Slack or Notion.Source
• Your websiteRoadmap (updated October 27): shipped since August are AI Gateway spend limits by team, desktop policies, OpenWork Web, automations, audit logs and OpenWork in Slack; planned are a phone app, admin roles, the AI Gateway from other coding agents, approvals mid-run and failure and spend reporting by skill, connection and team; there is no voting, only a "Share feedback" form.Source
• Your websiteSince April 2026 the homepage headline changed from "The open source Claude Cowork for your team" to "Your AI workspace. Without vendor lock-in.", the starting price from $50 a month to $10 per user, and sales booking from Cal.com to a Google appointment schedule; the page title still reads "OpenWork — Free, open-source Claude Cowork alternative".Source