How one founder’s bet on ‘the old school web’ is paying off

Former Meta engineer Craig Campbell turned Past Maps into a subscription business built around historical map overlays.

What started as a metal-detecting hobby became a broader web app after he shared it online and users found it through Google Search.

The site has grown from about 20,000 monthly active users to more than 300,000 in its third year.

Campbell says organic search still works for niche products, and he uses AI tools to help run the business.