Software can be advanced and principled at once
Little Guy Dev crafts user-centric applications that blend real security, community, and creativity. Founded by Charlie Manning, it makes tools that help people live more securely, more intentionally, and more freely — whether that's safeguarding sensitive data or deepening a personal practice.
The throughline is a simple conviction: software can be technically excellent and ethically driven at the same time. Our work sits at the intersection of privacy, identity, and personal empowerment — and every project starts with a problem we've actually lived.
“We build the tools we wish already existed.”
Charlie Manning
FOUNDER · LITTLE GUY DEV, LLCHi, I'm Charlie. Little Guy Dev started for a simple reason: I kept having ideas I wished existed, and no one else was building them. So I taught myself — nights and weekends, learning by breaking things — until making that software became the whole job.
Two things steer what I build. Sustainability, because we all share one world and I'd rather leave it a little better than I found it. And privacy — it's why the AI features I develop run on your device, not someone else's cloud. Your data should stay yours.
When I'm not at the keyboard, you'll find me deep in a history book or a science doc (astronomy's the soft spot), playing an RTS or RPG, or happily talking someone's ear off about doing business the honest way. I'm endlessly curious — and I like to think it shows up in the work.
It all comes back to one belief: software should respect the people who use it. I'd rather build a little slower and get it right than cut a corner — and I'd genuinely love to build something with you.
Technology that empowers, never exploits
We picture a digital world where privacy is protected and personal growth comes first — software that works in harmony with the humans who use it.
Security with humanity
Secure products that don't sacrifice usability. Technology should protect people without asking them to become security experts.
Technology with purpose
Tools that solve real problems and support meaningful journeys. We reject the attention economy in favor of software that adds value to your life.
Business with ethics
Sustainable practices that respect our users and communities. We believe profit should follow purpose — not dictate it.