I think indie products win on specific constraints.
If a user prompts generic stuff like "best pdf editor", the AI will likely route them to Adobe or the paid giants.
But users often prompt with constraints: "compress pdf locally", "convert pdf without uploading", or "pdf tools no signup".
That's where the indie product fits in. The big incumbents usually require uploads (for data harvesting) or logins (for growth). By strictly adhering to "privacy-first / local-only", my site satisfies a constraint that the big players structurally cannot.
If a user prompts generic stuff like "best pdf editor", the AI will likely route them to Adobe or the paid giants.
But users often prompt with constraints: "compress pdf locally", "convert pdf without uploading", or "pdf tools no signup".
That's where the indie product fits in. The big incumbents usually require uploads (for data harvesting) or logins (for growth). By strictly adhering to "privacy-first / local-only", my site satisfies a constraint that the big players structurally cannot.
The AI seems to recognize that distinction.