About
Why we're here.
TheBigHouse is one house with two rooms. Labs builds the software. Media writes for it, so the ideas behind the code reach people who will never read a README.
We build open-source software that makes the internet better for everyone.
We explore and share the ideas shaping a better internet.
Both rooms, same values: more open · more accessible · more independent
Open by default
Code, roadmaps and mistakes are public. If something has to stay closed, we say why.
Room for everyone
Accessibility is part of the job from the start, not a pass at the end. If someone can't use it, it isn't finished.
Independent
No lock-in, no tracking, no answering to platforms. People should own their own corner of the web.
Written for humans
Docs, posts and commit messages are all written for a person who just walked in.
The name is a pun.
Groothuis is Dutch for “big house”. It's now the name over two doors. Labs makes open-source software. Media writes, records and explains.
Labs builds the software. Media writes for it: essays, guides and whitepapers, all on this site.