Problem
`~/.flow/` is technically all plain markdown + a SQLite file — so users aren't really locked in — but there's no explicit exit story. A potential user evaluating flow will wonder: "if I accumulate 200 KB entries and 50 task briefs over 6 months, then decide this isn't for me, how do I leave?"
That unanswered anxiety kills adoption for personal-data tools.
Proposed approach
Add `flow export [--out ]`:
- Copies all briefs, updates, and kb files into a clean target directory.
- Dumps `flow.db` to SQL text (`sqlite3 .dump`) alongside.
- Writes an `EXPORTED_README.md` at the root explaining the layout — so even without flow installed, the user has a readable personal archive.
- Optionally `--format zip` wraps it.
Why it matters
"You own your data" becomes a concrete, demonstrated claim instead of a marketing line. Also useful for: moving laptops, backing up to git, sharing context with an LLM that isn't Claude Code.
Non-goal
Import (`flow import`) — separate issue if anyone ever asks.
Problem
`~/.flow/` is technically all plain markdown + a SQLite file — so users aren't really locked in — but there's no explicit exit story. A potential user evaluating flow will wonder: "if I accumulate 200 KB entries and 50 task briefs over 6 months, then decide this isn't for me, how do I leave?"
That unanswered anxiety kills adoption for personal-data tools.
Proposed approach
Add `flow export [--out ]`:
Why it matters
"You own your data" becomes a concrete, demonstrated claim instead of a marketing line. Also useful for: moving laptops, backing up to git, sharing context with an LLM that isn't Claude Code.
Non-goal
Import (`flow import`) — separate issue if anyone ever asks.