S01E07 Fran cover art

S01E07 Fran

S01E07 Fran

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

 In this Trust Revolution episode, Shawn Yeager and Fran, the Buenos Aires-based creator of Zapstore, explore the chokehold of centralized app stores. Fran details how Apple and Google’s control stifles innovation and erodes trust, then unveils Zapstore, a Nostr-powered, decentralized solution with cryptographic security and social trust layers. This 65-minute conversation spans the frustrations of arbitrary curation to the promise of AI-driven “vibe-coded” apps, showing how decentralized systems can reclaim power for users and developers.

About Fran

Fran is a full-stack software engineer with nearly two decades of experience, from Java in the 2000s to modern mobile frameworks. Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he’s the creator of Zapstore, a decentralized app store launched in May 2024 on the Nostr protocol. Driven by frustration with centralized app stores’ control, Fran’s work empowers users and developers with secure, censorship-resistant software distribution. A participant in the first Sovereign Engineering cohort in Madeira, he’s a vocal advocate for privacy and autonomy, blending technical expertise with a vision for a freer digital ecosystem.
  • X Profile: @FranOnNostr
  • Nostr: fran@primal.net
  • Zapstore: Zapstore
Quotes to Remember
  • “The biggest problem is we can’t change the curator, and that creates resentment on both sides.” — Fran
  • “With centralized stores, the filters feel random, like they’re just flexing power.” — Fran
  • “ZapStore uses Nostr to sign apps, so you know they’re from the developer, not some middleman.” — Fran
  • “A free market of catalogs means no one can misbehave without losing trust.” — Fran
  • “In the future, AI will let anyone vibe-code apps, breaking the app store monopoly.” — Fran
Resources & Links
  • Zapstore Website: Discover Zapstore’s decentralized app store for Android and explore its mission to empower users. Zapstore
  • Nostr Protocol: Learn about the decentralized protocol behind ZapStore’s censorship-resistant app distribution. nostr.com
  • Fran’s Blog Post: Read Fran’s detailed analysis of centralized app store flaws and Nostr’s potential to fix app distribution. Zapstore/blog
Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co

Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

What listeners say about S01E07 Fran

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com.au reviews

Amazon Reviews
No Reviews are Available
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.