I think historically too many have been attempting to copy Google. It was a bad idea when they were great, and it's a worse idea when they're floundering. An imitation very rarely exceeds what it imitates. Is why after untold amounts of Microsoft R&D money Bing is still google-but-kinda-worse.
I still remember the day I saw your project on HN [1]. Your work encouraged me to start exploring my search engine ideas. I can't believe you are commenting on my work.
Big part of why I've been working so openly on my project is to inspire and to let others see that there's actually still things to be done in this space, and despite what one might assume, impactful things can be accomplished with a relatively modest budget.