In an era dominated by the rush to invest in artificial intelligence, one founder made an unconventional choice: he walked away from a 'blank check' offered by venture capitalists to start, of all things, a website. That bet is now paying off, showing that there is still life—and profit—in the so-called 'old school web.'
The Origin of Past Maps
Craig Campbell, a former engineer at Meta and an experienced tech entrepreneur, sold his last venture—a Shopify-focused e-commerce tool—just as the AI boom exploded in 2022. Instead of chasing the next AI startup, he turned down eager investors and built a website that allows users to explore historical maps overlaid on modern-day geography. The concept, called Past Maps, was born from his passion for metal detecting. Campbell wanted to pinpoint old structures and trails on modern landscapes to find artifacts. What started as a personal tool soon gained traction when he shared it on Reddit, where fellow enthusiasts expressed interest in using it themselves.
The site functions by pulling public-domain historical maps from sources like the US Geological Survey and allowing users to adjust the opacity to blend or switch between past and present views. It offers a compelling way to visualize changes in rivers, roads, and infrastructure over the decades—not just for hobbyists but for genealogists, researchers, and anyone curious about the history beneath their feet.
Organic Growth in a Google-First World
One of the most remarkable aspects of Past Maps is how it grew. Campbell achieved rapid, sustainable growth through organic search traffic—a feat many publishers now consider nearly impossible. In year one, Past Maps averaged about 20,000 active monthly users; by year three, that number had soared past 300,000. The secret? Campbell carefully tagged maps and pages so that Google could understand the content and surface it for relevant queries. People searching for information about old churches in a specific county or abandoned mines would find Past Maps rising through the search results.
This approach contradicts the narrative that the 'Google Zero' era—a moment when search results increasingly favor zero-click answers and AI summaries—has killed the web. Campbell argues that the open web is still alive, but only in small, deep niches. 'This is how the web is supposed to work. This is actually the old school web,' he said. 'It is alive and well, but only in these really, really small niches.'
Revenue via Subscriptions, Not Ads
Rather than relying on display advertising—the traditional model for content sites—Campbell chose a subscription-based revenue stream. Users can explore basic features for free, but deeper access requires a $9 weekly pass or a $52 annual subscription. This shift insulates the business from the instability of ad markets and the dominance of Google in ad tech, which the US Department of Justice ruled an illegal monopoly in 2025. By monetizing directly, Campbell retains control and relies on providing genuine value to his users.
He acknowledges that the subscription model doesn't generate the kind of explosive returns VC-backed AI startups might promise. 'I'm making the same as when I was like, an E4 at Facebook, which is like a mid-level engineer,' he says. Still, it's enough to sustain him and his wife, who also works on the business. More importantly, it proves that a useful, well-crafted website can still generate healthy revenue without chasing scale at all costs.
AI as a Tool, Not a Crutch
While Campbell stepped away from building an AI company, he has embraced AI as a powerful operational tool. He uses a local agent model running on his desktop to handle customer service. The AI triages emails, filters spam, identifies urgent issues, and drafts responses—tasks that once took him one to two hours daily are now handled in about ten minutes. He also integrated automated refund and cancellation requests via Stripe, which he reviews before approving.
Beyond customer support, Campbell is developing an AI-powered Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool tailored for historical maps, which pose unique challenges. Handwritten labels, curved text along river courses, and crowded annotations trip up standard OCR systems. Instead of relying solely on off-the-shelf LLMs, Campbell combines human ingenuity with AI reasoning. 'You have to still bring that human spark into the mix,' he notes, emphasizing that creativity and experience are irreplaceable.
A Broader Lesson for the Web
The success of Past Maps offers a counterpoint to the hype cycles that dominate tech news. In a landscape where many believe the web is dying or has been reduced to a handful of platforms, Campbell's story shows that building something focused, useful, and genuinely enjoyable can still attract a loyal audience. The core principles of the old web—creating valuable content, making it discoverable via search, and charging users directly rather than relying on ad networks—still work.
Campbell's journey from a mid-level Meta engineer to founder of a subscription-based site that grew entirely through organic traffic is a testament to the power of niche communities and passion projects. His customers range from metal detectorists to family historians, and even someone who uses the site to track historical oil wells. The diversity of use cases demonstrates that a simple idea, executed well, can reach far beyond its original intent.
In the age of AI summaries and zero-click searches, Past Maps stands as an example that the web is not dead—it's just different. Small businesses and independent creators can still thrive by focusing on depth, quality, and direct relationships with users. Campbell's bet on the old school web may not make him a billionaire, but it has built a sustainable, rewarding business that he enjoys running. And in a tech world obsessed with exponential growth, that is a win in itself.
Source: The Verge News