Ask HN: WordPress Impact on Startups

I have a bit of dilemma. I worked for the past year on creating a startup targeting WordPress. When I started work on this, I was under the impression that Automattic and the WP Foundation were pro-open source and pro-open community; and therefore I wouldn't need to worry about my startup being based on WordPress.

In the past few weeks, I've started doubting that. I would have no problem if Automattic/WPF went to court, and asked for an injunction against WPEngine for trademark infringement. But instead of dealing with this in court, they've weaponized the control they have to engage in an erratic "scorched earth" campaign.

My product is finished and my pilot users love the product. But it's hosting-related, and I could easily imagine myself in the same position as WPEngine. I'm also concerned about WPFs supply chain attacks: cutting off update access to users; replacing a plugin and pushing code into user's websites; etc. If those tactics were used against my startup, it may be difficult to keep it operating.

I could just launch and hope this is just a WPEngine problem. But right now, I can pivot into another framework with a couple months of work; and won't have to worry about how to handle WordPress users on the product.

What to do? Launch, pivot, wait? something else?