[jcstryker]

I really like the look of this, though is there any way to self-host without google cloud components?

From the local devserver instructions: >gcloud components update

Looks like there isn't?

[onejgordon]

Not at present. I chose GCP/GAE because I know it well, and there's some convenience when integrating with other google cloud services (like BigQuery, gSheets/gCal, etc).