

Lightspeed search built for devs
Jul 10, 2025
Don MacKinnon, Co-founder and CTO of Searchcraft, dives into the exciting future of search technology. He discusses how blending vector embeddings with classic ranking can enhance search accuracy. Don shares insights on building developer-friendly search solutions and the challenges faced in ensuring relevancy and handling user errors. The conversation also touches on the impact of AI on user expectations, fundraising for tech startups, and the ethical considerations of AI-generated content. Prepare for a thought-provoking journey into the world of next-generation search!
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Building Searchcraft From Experience
- Don MacKinnon and his co-founder built Searchcraft because existing search options were too complicated for startups and clients to self-manage.
- They wanted a developer-friendly, fast search engine that reduced hardware needs and complexity.
Simplicity Over Complexity
- Elastic tries to do everything but that makes it overly complicated for most users.
- Simplifying search and focusing on developer experience better serves startups and front end developers.
Rust for Efficient Search
- Use Rust to reduce hardware needs and avoid JVM complexity for search engines.
- Rust enables fast, memory-efficient single-machine setups serving millions of records, simplifying deployment.