Some time has gone by since the last time I posted on the GapScout site. I am keeping it up and running because there are some really great articles (not written by AI) that people still find valuable.
But in terms of it being a commercial endeavor, those days are long gone.
What has happened recently?
Initially, after ending GapScout, I had conversations with several people about an acquisition. Those fell through, and I backed away entirely from the project. I was disheartened, frustrated, and confused as to what to do next.
I mentioned it previously, but I started to coach entrepreneurs (particularly in the WordPress space) afterward.
I did that for two solid years and enjoyed it, but have recently decided on taking an entrepreneurial sabbatical. So now, I’m not actively involved in anything.
Why did I stop?
Easy: litigation threats.
Yes, that’s it.
G2 and Capterra issued cease and desist letters to me, demanding I pay hefty yearly licensing fees (somewhere around $15K per year) in order to access their publically available data.
AI was freaking out players like G2 and Capterra at the time, so they started to fight it rather than adapt. Today, they have their own AI in place so it seems like they’ve embraced it a bit more.
But yeah, screw that. I wasn’t about to pay extortion fees. And while there was no legal precedent in place for what they were implying (I checked), the joy of the project was done for me.
I noticed that there was a copycat who came about after I started the GapScout project, but he got to market quicker with a rather half-baked solution. It worked for him, though, he got “acquired” (or more accurately, acqu-hired) by another company. They then let his project die a slow death.
What I do now
As I mentioned, I’m not doing anything at the moment.
I’ve been gravitating back to the e-learning space, an area that I thoroughly enjoy. Just for fun, I share my thoughts about LMSs, EdTech, and online learning on LinkedIn.
It’s enjoyable as I take some time to reflect on what I enjoy doing, and what ultimately will motivate me for that next endeavor.
Until the next time!
-Justin
