A solo developer has unveiled Lightwave, a real-time notes application built entirely by hand over three and a half years. The app, which uses Laravel, MySQL, Redis, and hand-rolled JavaScript, aims to combine the simplicity of plain text files with collaborative features typically found in enterprise tools. Currently in pre-release stress testing, Lightwave is positioned as both a personal productivity tool and a team collaboration platform.

Unlike mainstream alternatives like Notion or Obsidian, Lightwave was built without frameworks like React or Vue, relying instead on approximately 270 lines of jQuery and IndexedDB for local persistence. The real-time collaboration system uses a hybrid approach combining HTTP/2 POST requests for resilience with WebSockets via Laravel Reverb for live cursors and presence. The developer emphasizes that this architectural choice was driven by a desire for performance and control rather than framework popularity.

Key features include markdown block conversion, hierarchical document structure, live collaboration with shared cursors, syntax highlighting for code blocks, LaTeX math support, and comprehensive data export options. The app is currently desktop-only with known rough edges including a custom-built cursor system and incomplete keyboard shortcuts. The developer is actively soliciting feedback through an in-app bug submission feature while working on accessibility and mobile support.