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A subscription-based search engine called Kagi that offers an ad-free, privacy-focused alternative to Google. Started by Vladimir in 2018, it charges $5-10 monthly for premium search results without advertising.
Key Points:
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Business Model:
- No advertisements
- $5-10 monthly subscription
- Transparent metrics publicly available at kagi.com/stats
- Currently has ~30,000 paying members
- Making approximately $1-1.5M in annual revenue
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Target Market:
- Privacy-conscious users
- People frustrated with ad-heavy search results
- The "1%" willing to pay for better search experience
- Estimated potential market of 50M users (1% of 5B search users)
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Competitive Strategy:
- Position as "anti-Google" alternative
- Focus on user experience without ads
- Bootstrap growth through paying customers
- Maintain independence through subscription revenue
- No need to compete directly with Google's scale
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Recent Development:
- Raised $800k in funding
- Operates transparently through public blog
- Shares company metrics and progress openly
- Founded by former GoDaddy VP of Product
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Philosophy:
- Make web "more humane and friendlier"
- Belief that ad-supported search misaligns with user interests
- Focus on sustainable growth through paying customers
- Commitment to transparency in operations
Sam Parr
Host of MFM and fitness influencer
Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur and business media pioneer.
In 2016, he founded The Hustle, a business news media company that started in his kitchen with just $12 and grew to eight figures in revenue.
Sam led the charge in making newsletters popular when few believed in their potential.
After four successful years, he sold The Hustle to HubSpot, a publicly traded company. Now operating as HubSpot Media, The Hustle reaches 3 million readers daily, employs a team of nearly 100, and has been the launchpad for dozens of its staff to found their own media companies and newsletters.
Sam remains the host of the popular business podcast, My First Million, and continues to start and sell companies. He also co-founded Hampton, a highly vetted community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and teaches people to write better through his platform, Copy That.