THE FOUNDER FILES: VAPORVAULT

Rich Washburn
2 hours ago
3 min read

Secure Simplicity for the Rest of Us

It started as a side feature. A “what if” on a different project.

And seventy-some hours later, I’m staring at a fully functional, shipping, hardware-secure text vault — VaporVault 3.0 — wondering how we got from idea to inventory this fast.

This isn’t a prototype.This isn’t vaporware. This is VaporVault, and it’s real.

The Problem That Shouldn’t Exist

You know exactly what I’m talking about. Every IT guy, every cybersecurity professional, every mildly tech-aware human has seen it — the Notepad file named “Passwords.txt” sitting on someone’s desktop.Or the Google Doc shared “just with myself.” Or the sticky note taped under the keyboard with the Wi-Fi password.

Everyone does it. Everyone knows they shouldn’t.And until now, no one’s really solved it — because every “solution” was too complex, too abstract, or too connected to trust. So I built something different.

The Product That Shouldn’t Exist — But Does

VaporVault is the physical evolution of the password file — a palm-sized, self-contained text vault that feels like a sticky note and behaves like a fortress.

Offline by Default. It doesn’t touch the cloud.
Local, Persistent Memory. Your data lives on the device — nowhere else.
PIN Optional. Add another layer of protection if you want.
Two Modes.
- Secure Mode: Isolated, private, off-grid.
- Node Mode: Shared, networked, collaborative.
Hardware Kill Switch. Configurable panic wipe — hold the button, and it’s gone forever.

It’s the simplest secure vault ever built.

When you connect, it launches instantly — a captive Wi-Fi portal that feels like an app, no downloads, no setup, no waiting. You can store notes, credentials, keys, anything you’d never want living in someone else’s cloud. And if you’re on a trusted network, switch to Node Mode and make it a shared secure clipboard. It’s not a gimmick. It’s a tool.

The Numbers That Don’t Lie

Retail: $99
Addressable Market: 300M+ users still relying on unsecured password files

That’s not a business plan — that’s a bullhorn.And it screams: category creation. No competitors. No recurring costs. Offline-first, consumer-ready, 100% margin leverage. This is a product that lives at the intersection of security, simplicity, and profitability.

The Execution That Shouldn’t Be Possible

Here’s the part that still blows my mind.From inception to working firmware, to website, to demo units — 72 hours. I built the firmware, 3D printed the enclosures, wrote the site, and distributed the first dozen demo units myself.Handmade, AI-assisted, and fully operational.

You can see it live right now:👉 vaporvaultsafe.com

This is what creation looks like in the AI era — idea to artifact in a single weekend.

If this isn’t the singularity, it’s close enough to smell it.

The Opportunity That’s Sitting on the Table

I’m not a hardware conglomerate.I’m not a venture-backed startup.I’m just a guy with a soldering iron, a 3D printer, and a stubborn sense of inevitability.

But this little device?This thing is built to scale.

Tooling-ready. Gerbers done.
Firmware unified. C3/C6 compatible.
Market untapped. 0 direct competition.
Margins insane. Read that again.

I’m not looking for theory.I’m looking for fuel.

Because the prototype stage is over.This is product.This is market.This is the moment.

The Ask

I’m opening the floor.

If you’re an investor, this is a rare clean-sheet opportunity:A real product, with finished IP, production-ready design, and provable demand, built for a massive market that’s never been served.

If you’re a partner or manufacturer, let’s scale this.If you’re a maker, come build with me.If you’re a user, grab one. You’ll get it the second you touch it.

The Bottom Line

We talk about “disruption” like it’s a PowerPoint slide.But this is disruption you can hold in your hand. VaporVault is proof that simplicity still wins, security can be beautiful, and one person — with AI at their side — can bring a product from idea to industry in less time than it takes most teams to schedule a meeting. So yeah — call this my founder’s pipe dream.Except it’s not a dream anymore. It’s in my hand.And it’s ready to go.

Rich Washburn Founder, Creator, and Slightly Sleep-Deprived Human Behind VaporVault