Choose open portable formats (Markdown, CSV, JSON) over…
Choose tools that store data in open, portable formats (Markdown, CSV, JSON, plain text) over proprietary formats even if the proprietary tool has more features, because migration cost compounds daily with every new piece of data added to a locked format.
When This Fires
- When selecting any tool that will store data you want to keep long-term
- When evaluating a shiny new tool with proprietary format against an adequate open-format alternative
- When conducting Scale tool evaluation effort to switching cost…'s switching-cost assessment and finding high lock-in risk
- Complements Scale tool evaluation effort to switching cost… (evaluation effort scales with irreversibility) with the specific criterion that reduces irreversibility
Common Failure Mode
Feature-first selection: "This tool is amazing! It has AI-powered linking, beautiful visualizations, and smart suggestions!" — stored in a proprietary format with no export. Two years and 3,000 notes later, the company pivots, raises prices 5x, or shuts down. Your data is trapped.
The Protocol
(1) For any tool that stores data, check: what format does it use? Markdown, plain text, CSV, JSON → open. Database, proprietary binary, cloud-only → locked. (2) Check export capability: can you export ALL your data in an open format? Test it with a small dataset before committing. (3) If choosing between an open-format tool with adequate features and a proprietary tool with superior features → choose open format unless the feature gap is genuinely critical (not just nice-to-have). (4) For tools already in use with proprietary formats: schedule periodic exports as insurance. Monthly export of all data to open format creates a portable backup even if you can't switch tools today. (5) Rate each tool in your stack 1-5 on migration readiness (Choose open portable formats (Markdown, CSV, JSON) over…'s variant). Any tool rated 1-2 (data locked, no export) is a strategic risk requiring replacement consideration.