The State of Search in the AI Era with Don MacKinnon

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Search is changing. Tried and true methods of old are no longer effective. In this episode, Don MacKinnon, CTO and Co-Founder of Searchcraft, joins us to discuss this rapidly changing area that has been disrupted by AI. Don shares his journey from the publishing industry to building a modern search solution, and discusses how AI is fundamentally changing content discovery. We explore why traditional SEO strategies are becoming less effective as Google search referrals decline, and how content creators need to rethink their discoverability strategies. Don also provides a fascinating look at the technical decisions behind Searchcraft, including their choice to build with Rust instead of Java or C++, and how they're positioning their product in an increasingly AI-dominated funding environment. Whether you're a developer looking for better search solutions or a content creator concerned about the future of discovery, this episode offers valuable perspectives on navigating the changing digital landscape.

Where to Find Don MacKinnon

• Website: https://donmackinnon.dev/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmackinnon/
• BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/donmackinnon.dev/
• Searchcraft: https://www.searchcraft.io/

Show Links

• Plausible Analytics: https://plausible.io/
• ClickHouse Database: https://clickhouse.com/
• Rust Programming Language: https://www.rust-lang.org/
• Elasticsearch (Comparison): https://www.elastic.co/