I think there is huge potential for a freemium approach. And it means that searchers are the customer not the product. We went a long time with no funding and living off toast and vegemite to survive, so we're incredibly grateful to have some support to help us pay for food and API and model training costs now.
We've received backing and funds from YC and angels so far. We're lucky that we're a small team of 2, and we're frugal about things, so we've tried to come up with cost effective ways of building Andi.
My own feeling is that search is such a huge problem, and the more people trying different things, different approaches, commercial and non-commercial, the better for the whole world. It's really exciting to see projects like https://search.marginala.nu/ popping up and getting lots of interest and support as well. It has to be good for everyone to have some innovation in search after so long as a tired monopoly.
We've received backing and funds from YC and angels so far. We're lucky that we're a small team of 2, and we're frugal about things, so we've tried to come up with cost effective ways of building Andi.
My own feeling is that search is such a huge problem, and the more people trying different things, different approaches, commercial and non-commercial, the better for the whole world. It's really exciting to see projects like https://search.marginala.nu/ popping up and getting lots of interest and support as well. It has to be good for everyone to have some innovation in search after so long as a tired monopoly.