Free code. Serious implementation.
Nat Ford builds open-source planning, geospatial, aerial, modeling, and operations software. The tools are meant to be inspected, forked, customized, and run by agencies, companies, developers, and AI agents.
Commercial model
The code is free. The operating help is paid.
- • Custom forks and company-specific versions.
- • Hosted administration, monitoring, release management, and support.
- • Enterprise SSO, roles, access control, and staff training.
- • Planning, GIS, data, AI, and software implementation for real workflows.
Open beats locked-in
If public-interest software matters, people should be able to inspect it, fork it, run it, and improve it without waiting for a vendor roadmap.
Building blocks beat monoliths
AI agents are increasingly good at gluing together proven pieces. The useful unit is often the component, schema, workflow, or package — not the giant closed app.
Services fund stewardship
The code can be free. The hard work is deployment, security, data cleanup, integrations, onboarding, support, and keeping a custom fork healthy over time.
Transparency is a civic feature
For agencies, tribes, counties, and public-facing work, reusable source code can reduce duplicate spending and make methods easier to verify.
Strong opinions, plainly stated.
This is the working doctrine behind the website rebuild and the product roadmap.
Most organizations do not need another black-box subscription. They need software they can inspect, adapt, and keep using when their workflow gets weird.
The future is not one all-purpose app with every possible feature. The future is a strong spine of open tools, clear primitives, and local adaptations that agents and people can extend.
Fork count matters. Reuse matters. A tool that gets copied, modified, and deployed in strange places is doing its job.
Nat Ford will make money by being excellent stewards: setup, custom versions, hosting, support, training, integrations, and planning expertise — not by hiding useful code behind a tollbooth.
Building blocks worth forking.
Featured active public repos are shown here. The selected product catalog lives on the project directory, with release-track and commercial-guide entries labeled separately.
OpenPlan
Free, open-source planning software for rural RTPAs, counties, agencies, consultants, and public-interest planning teams — with projects, funding, maps, reports, evidence, and implementation work kept in one spine.
Readiness
Active buildout
License
Apache-2.0
Contribution path
Issues / forks / pull requests
Moving quickly; best for pilots, custom forks, and teams comfortable shaping the tool.
Open primitives
- • Planning workspace
- • shared project spine
- • funding and program records
- • GIS/data context
- • grant/report workflows
- • evidence packets
- • AI-assisted drafting with review gates
Paid support
Managed deployment, custom county/RTPA/agency editions, hosting/admin, role design, staff onboarding, GIS/data setup, agency-specific RTP/ATP/grant templates, support, and planning services.
Source code is licensed under Apache-2.0 unless the repository marks a specific file or asset otherwise; see LICENSE-NOTICE for exclusions.
OpenGeo
AI-native drone-to-insight geospatial platform built with Next.js, Supabase, PostGIS, MapLibre, and AI SDK patterns.
Readiness
Usable alpha
License
AGPL-3.0-only
Contribution path
Issues / forks / pull requests
Installable or inspectable now, with scope and hardening still evolving.
Open primitives
- • Map workspace
- • PostGIS-backed data model
- • AI-assisted geospatial workflow
- • MapLibre interface
Paid support
Custom geospatial deployments, PostGIS setup, map workflows, hosted administration, data migration, and internal tool integration.
Source code is licensed under AGPL-3.0-only unless the repository marks a specific file or asset otherwise.
Aerial Intel Platform
Open aerial data processing and planning-intelligence platform using an ODM-composed architecture for drone workflows.
Readiness
Active buildout
License
Apache-2.0
Contribution path
Issues / forks / pull requests
Moving quickly; best for pilots, custom forks, and teams comfortable shaping the tool.
Open primitives
- • Mission intake
- • ODM processing hooks
- • dataset extraction
- • QA workflow
- • planning-ready outputs
Paid support
Drone program setup, mission processing workflows, hosted operations, QA packets, map deliverables, and staff onboarding.
Source code is licensed under Apache-2.0 unless the repository marks a specific file or asset otherwise; see LICENSE-NOTICE for exclusions.
ClawModeler
AI-orchestrated, local-first transportation scenario modeling for small and rural agencies. Python engine plus Tauri desktop UI.
Readiness
Active buildout
License
Apache-2.0
Contribution path
Issues / forks / pull requests
Moving quickly; best for pilots, custom forks, and teams comfortable shaping the tool.
Open primitives
- • Scenario modeling engine
- • desktop interface
- • local-first workflows
- • transportation analytics
Paid support
Model setup, local data preparation, scenario calibration, rural agency training, support, and custom modeling extensions.
Source code is licensed under Apache-2.0 unless the repository marks a specific file or asset otherwise; see LICENSE-NOTICE for exclusions.
Marketing & Planning Analytics Software
Ad and operations automation lineage for Google, Meta, and LinkedIn workflows, adaptable to planning and business reporting.
Readiness
Usable alpha
License
Apache-2.0
Contribution path
Issues / forks / pull requests
Installable or inspectable now, with scope and hardening still evolving.
Open primitives
- • Channel sync patterns
- • reporting automation
- • AI-assisted operations review
- • cross-platform workflow glue
Paid support
Custom analytics dashboards, campaign operations automation, CRM/reporting integrations, and support for non-planning companies.
Source code is licensed under Apache-2.0 unless the repository marks a specific file or asset otherwise; see LICENSE-NOTICE for exclusions.
We sell outcomes around the open tools.
Open source is not charity theater. It is a better adoption strategy and a better trust model. The paid work is the part most organizations actually need help with. Engagements typically range from a $3.5K fit audit to $18K+ managed deployments and custom forks.
Managed open-source deployment
We install, host, configure, monitor, and administer an open-source tool so your team can use it without becoming the maintainer.
- Vercel/Supabase deployment
- domain and environment setup
- backups and monitoring
- release management
Custom fork / agency edition
We fork the base project and adapt the workflows, data model, branding, permissions, and reporting outputs to your actual work.
- custom modules
- local data schemas
- agency report templates
- merge-forward maintenance
Team onboarding and identity planning
We plan and configure the unglamorous but essential parts: roles, access, staff onboarding, training, and governance. SSO or identity-provider work is scoped only when the deployment actually needs it.
- role/access setup
- identity-provider scoping when needed
- staff onboarding
- admin documentation
Priority support and operations
For teams that need confidence, we provide a scoped operator lane for urgent fixes, QA, uptime checks, and release triage.
- agreed priority-response terms
- bug triage
- security patch support
- monthly improvement review
How to engage
Choose the smallest responsible support lane.
Open-source work should not force a giant procurement step. Start with the support shape that matches the risk.
Open-source fit audit
A short recommendation memo: self-host, supported deployment, custom fork, or no-build/avoid.
- • repo/readiness review
- • workflow fit interview
- • risk and data gap list
Managed deployment sprint
Configured deployment, environment setup, admin notes, smoke test, and handoff checklist.
- • Vercel/Supabase or equivalent setup
- • domain/env configuration
- • basic monitoring
Custom fork / internal edition
A supported fork with local data model, permissions, branding, workflows, and reporting outputs.
- • fork strategy
- • custom modules
- • data migration
Operator support lane
Ongoing support lane for triage, upgrades, release notes, QA checks, and monthly improvement review.
- • agreed priority-response terms
- • bug triage
- • security/update review
We publish the reusable parts. We protect the sensitive parts.
Client data, credentials, confidential deliverables, and security-sensitive deployment details stay protected. Reusable code, schemas, templates, demo data, public methods, and documentation belong in the open whenever practical.
Trust comes from both transparency and discretion.
The operating rule is simple: open the building blocks; never leak people’s actual stuff.