FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The short version: free during early access, no account, local-first, runs on the AI you already pay for, macOS 13+ on Apple Silicon. The longer versions are below.
What is Motriz?
Motriz is a macOS AI workspace that takes a startup idea through nine founder questions — problem, customer, market, validation experiments — to an honest build-or-stop verdict, then hands the proven specification to coding agents working in your real Git repository. You talk to one AI co-founder; specialist agents do the legwork behind the scenes.
How much does Motriz cost?
Motriz is free during early access, with no account required. Some preview features are marked as part of a future Motriz Pro tier, but nothing is gated today. Motriz itself adds no markup or credits — it runs on the AI subscriptions and API keys you already have.
What do I need to run Motriz?
A Mac with Apple Silicon running macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer. Builds are signed and notarized, and the app updates itself in-app. Windows and Linux are on the roadmap but not available yet.
Which AI models and coding agents does Motriz use?
For building, Motriz orchestrates Claude Code (via your existing subscription login),
Codex (via your existing codex login), and Ollama Cloud
(via an API key) — individually or in flows like Plan → Execute → Review, where one agent plans, another
implements, and a third reviews in a loop until approved. Additional OpenAI-compatible providers can be
configured in Settings.
Do I need an API key?
Not necessarily. Claude Code and Codex run through the CLI logins you already have — no API key required. Ollama Cloud requires an API key. You configure only the providers you want to use.
Is my data private? Does Motriz phone home?
Motriz is local-first: there is no hosted backend, no account, and no general telemetry. The only signals ever sent are two anonymous, aggregate-only counters (a first-run answer and a project-created event) with no identifiers, no machine info, and no timestamps. Provider credentials are stored locally, encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM.
What are the nine founder questions?
What are we working with? · What's the idea? · Who has this problem? · What's already out there? · How will we test it? · What did we learn? · How would this win? · What do we build first? · Build it — or not? The first four build understanding, the next two validate with real evidence, and the last three end at the build gate. Each one is explained here.
What is the build-or-stop verdict?
At the final gate, Motriz weighs the evidence for, the evidence against, and the open risks, then returns one of four verdicts: Build, Validate more, Pivot, or Kill. The recommendation is evidence-based, but you make the call — and every verdict is recorded with its reasoning.
What lands in my repository after the handoff?
Four files: prd.md, mvp-scope.md, ux-flow.md, and
evidence-pack.md (digests of the interviews, experiments, and gate decisions — raw documents
never enter the repo). The MVP scope seeds the first tasks, queued riskiest-first. Nothing runs until you
press Run.
Which repositories does Motriz work with?
Motriz discovers Git repositories on your machine or works against any folder path you give it. At the build handoff you can keep the current repo, create a new one, or pick an existing tracked repo. You can also run a repository-free venture and connect code later. GitHub integration covers PR status, checks, reviews, and merges.
Is it safe to point Motriz at my repository?
Motriz is a personal power tool by design: agents can read, write, and execute inside the repository you select, without permission prompts. Parallel tasks run in isolated Git worktrees, and real branches, tests, and PRs keep changes reviewable — but you should only point it at repositories you're comfortable letting an agent modify.
Is Motriz available in Portuguese?
The motriz.ai website is available in English and Brazilian Portuguese. The app itself is English-first today: the interface and the documents it generates (PRD, memos, verdicts) are written in English. You can chat with the co-founder in Portuguese and it will follow the conversation, but the artifacts it produces come out in English. Full Portuguese support in the app is coming soon.
Still curious? The fastest answer is the 81-second demo — or the download itself.
Download Motriz for macOSFree during early access · No account · Watch the demo