The value isn't the meme projects. It's the "n8n but you talk to it" angle someone mentioned above. Small business automation for people who know what they want but can't code it.

The setup friction is real though. Docker, API keys, channel auth, gateway config. That's the actual barrier to adoption, not the underlying tech. Most people who try OpenClaw bounce off the install, not the functionality.

Re: the foundation move - this is actually good for the ecosystem. MIT license stays, community keeps contributing, Peter gets paid. The alternative was him bleeding $20k/month indefinitely.

What value is it actually producing? It feels like its a bunch of meme projects.

I get that in theory, it has full chat and desktop access, which could be useful, but seems like nothing useful has been created yet.

- privacy concerns: last thing I want is some prompt injection exposing xyz personal data. Seriously, how do people -especially technical ones- trust one thing with so much access and power!? Even from engineering perspective, it’s a single point of failure.

- security concerns: leaking credentials etc.

- codependency concerns: once you become codependent on something that you can’t control (ie not you), things can get messy, from a simple power blackout to cloud interruptions to company acquired by another, you will have a hard reality check.

- cognitive concerns: I have a theory that all these AI assistants will make people dumber in few years, when parts of their brains aren’t working or active as used to be and relying on external help, eventually they will lose that critical thinking ability, and become a “receiver” on how to navigate or do stuff, maybe even day to day tasks.

Maybe it was a move to make Sam come with overwhelming offer.

Rad.

Anthropic just made themselves look incredibly bad with the way they handled that when they sent a cease and desist to OpenClaw which that back-fired right in their faces.

Mistakes have been made.