The Browser Company is evaluating the future of its Arc browser, contemplating options such as selling or open-sourcing the application. CEO Josh Miller understood that the browser faced special circumstances. One big challenge was a “novelty tax” dilemma, forcing the team to re-imagine their approach.
When Arc finally launched, the excitement was palpable. Yet for many users, its radical departure was too radical, and the learning curve required to understand its suite of tools was difficult for many to traverse. “For most people, Arc was simply too different, with too many new things to learn, for too little reward,” Miller stated. He lamented that the browser’s core features and values had lost focus. Despite extensive call testing, this disconnect still resulted in a confusing user experience for many.
Arc was developed using The Arc Development Kit (ADK). This internal SDK became the basis for an open-source browser Dia. Though Miller argued for the experimental nature of Arc, he admitted that this quality made the language difficult.
In a recent Substack blog post titled “letter-to-arc-members-2025,” Miller responded directly to the question of whether Arc would be open-sourced. Open-sourcing is something he wants to bring to fruition someday. He said for it to be truly meaningful, they must open-source the ADK concurrently because this is core to the company’s business model. Although open-sourcing Arc is something we’d eventually love to do, we can’t do that meaningfully without being able to open-source ADK. ADK remains central to our company’s value. That doesn’t mean it can’t happen,” he continued.
The announcement that The Browser Company is changing direction with Arc follows news that the… Read more. This venture into uncharted waters begs the question of how the company will prioritize true innovation alongside user accessibility. The challenges Arc has faced remind us of the extraordinary hurdles companies face in bringing truly transformative technology to market.
Ivan Mehta, a tech journalist from India who writes about global consumer tech innovations for TechCrunch. He emphasized the transformative potential of these advancements. He brings great editorial experience from such distinguished publications as the Huffington Post and The Next Web. User-centered design He champions the principle of user-centered design in tech products.
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