Should I Build It Should I Build It
17 Aug 2025
SaaS

i want to create a food delivery app in jamaica

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Swamp

The market has seen several mediocre solutions that nobody loves. Unless you can offer something fundamentally different, you’ll likely struggle to stand out or make money.

Should You Build It?

Don't build it.

Your are here

Creating a food delivery app in Jamaica puts you in a challenging 'Swamp' category. This means there are already several similar solutions, but none have truly captured the market's heart. With 16 similar products already out there, the competition is high. The engagement around these existing apps is low, with an average of 3 comments per product launch, indicating that users aren't particularly excited or invested in these solutions. Because there are so many similar apps, to succeed in this space in Jamaica, your app NEEDS a unique differentiator.

Recommendations

  1. Start by thoroughly researching why the existing food delivery apps in Jamaica haven't achieved widespread success. What are their shortcomings in terms of user experience, restaurant selection, delivery speed, or pricing? Read reviews, talk to potential users, and identify the pain points that your app can solve better. Check the existing solutions for discussion and criticism, and leverage them.
  2. Instead of targeting the entire Jamaican population, focus on a specific niche or underserved group. For example, you could specialize in delivering healthy meals to busy professionals, catering to specific dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free), or focusing on a particular geographic area where delivery options are limited. Narrowing your focus will make it easier to acquire initial users and build a loyal customer base.
  3. Consider offering tools or services to existing restaurants and delivery providers instead of directly competing with them. This could involve developing a more efficient order management system, a better delivery tracking platform, or a marketing solution to help them reach more customers. By becoming a partner rather than a competitor, you can tap into an established market and avoid the challenges of building a delivery network from scratch.
  4. Explore adjacent problems within the food industry in Jamaica that might be more promising. For example, could you create a platform for local farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers, or a service that connects home cooks with people looking for authentic Jamaican cuisine? Expanding your scope beyond traditional food delivery could open up new opportunities and reduce competition.
  5. Given the crowded market and low engagement with existing solutions, it might be wise to re-evaluate whether building a food delivery app is the best use of your time and resources. There may be other, more promising opportunities that align better with your skills and interests. Don't be afraid to pivot to a different idea if you believe it has a higher chance of success.
  6. Specifically address the criticisms leveled against similar food delivery platforms. Users of similar platforms have expressed frustration, especially regarding unclear onboarding (RestoApp) or closed-source API limiting customization (I've updated my food delivery repo). Make the whole onboarding process seamless and make your API open source to allow other developers to build and customize your platform to increase utility and adoption.

Questions

  1. What specific problem are you solving for Jamaican consumers or restaurants that existing food delivery apps aren't already addressing effectively?
  2. How will you differentiate your app from the numerous competitors in the Jamaican market and create a loyal customer base?
  3. What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) you will track to measure the success of your app, and how will you use these insights to improve your product and marketing strategy?

Your are here

Creating a food delivery app in Jamaica puts you in a challenging 'Swamp' category. This means there are already several similar solutions, but none have truly captured the market's heart. With 16 similar products already out there, the competition is high. The engagement around these existing apps is low, with an average of 3 comments per product launch, indicating that users aren't particularly excited or invested in these solutions. Because there are so many similar apps, to succeed in this space in Jamaica, your app NEEDS a unique differentiator.

Recommendations

  1. Start by thoroughly researching why the existing food delivery apps in Jamaica haven't achieved widespread success. What are their shortcomings in terms of user experience, restaurant selection, delivery speed, or pricing? Read reviews, talk to potential users, and identify the pain points that your app can solve better. Check the existing solutions for discussion and criticism, and leverage them.
  2. Instead of targeting the entire Jamaican population, focus on a specific niche or underserved group. For example, you could specialize in delivering healthy meals to busy professionals, catering to specific dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free), or focusing on a particular geographic area where delivery options are limited. Narrowing your focus will make it easier to acquire initial users and build a loyal customer base.
  3. Consider offering tools or services to existing restaurants and delivery providers instead of directly competing with them. This could involve developing a more efficient order management system, a better delivery tracking platform, or a marketing solution to help them reach more customers. By becoming a partner rather than a competitor, you can tap into an established market and avoid the challenges of building a delivery network from scratch.
  4. Explore adjacent problems within the food industry in Jamaica that might be more promising. For example, could you create a platform for local farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers, or a service that connects home cooks with people looking for authentic Jamaican cuisine? Expanding your scope beyond traditional food delivery could open up new opportunities and reduce competition.
  5. Given the crowded market and low engagement with existing solutions, it might be wise to re-evaluate whether building a food delivery app is the best use of your time and resources. There may be other, more promising opportunities that align better with your skills and interests. Don't be afraid to pivot to a different idea if you believe it has a higher chance of success.
  6. Specifically address the criticisms leveled against similar food delivery platforms. Users of similar platforms have expressed frustration, especially regarding unclear onboarding (RestoApp) or closed-source API limiting customization (I've updated my food delivery repo). Make the whole onboarding process seamless and make your API open source to allow other developers to build and customize your platform to increase utility and adoption.

Questions

  1. What specific problem are you solving for Jamaican consumers or restaurants that existing food delivery apps aren't already addressing effectively?
  2. How will you differentiate your app from the numerous competitors in the Jamaican market and create a loyal customer base?
  3. What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) you will track to measure the success of your app, and how will you use these insights to improve your product and marketing strategy?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 16
  • Engagement: Low
    • Average number of comments: 3
  • Net use signal: -5.2%
    • Positive use signal: 8.7%
    • Negative use signal: 13.8%
  • Net buy signal: -12.1%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 12.1%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

Similar products

Relevance

I've updated my food delivery repo. Feedback Welcome

08 Jan 2024 Delivery Developer Tools

Hey everyone! Over the past few years, I've dedicated my time to crafting a customizable solution for food delivery management. Now, I'm excited to showcase the culmination of all my work. Throughout the development journey, I've successfully incorporated all the planned features and even expanded upon them based on valuable feedback from the community.My methodology has consistently involved seeking input from platforms like Reddit and forums, where I engage with like-minded individuals. Some of the recent enhancements stem directly from this collaborative feedback, and I'm eager to gather more insights on the latest update to the project.Designed with a focus on individuals or businesses looking to start their own food delivery services, this solution simplifies the process of adding vendors, managing food items, coordinating deliveries, and overseeing riders. Beyond these core functionalities, you'll find a bunch of other features, including order tracking, real-time notifications, and more.Since I don’t have a substantial team backing me, I truly appreciate any assistance you can offer. Every form of contribution is valued.Give it a star and share your thoughts in the comments section. Your support means the world to me!

The Show HN product, likely a delivery service platform, received mixed feedback. Users appreciated the open-source frontend but criticized the proprietary backend and API, questioning the viability of the business model against giants like Uber and Doordash. Technical issues such as broken images, slow website performance, and lack of testing were noted. Some see potential in smaller communities and non-food deliveries, while others doubt the willingness to pay for the codebase. There's interest in pivoting towards POS systems or white-label services, and concerns about the service's availability and adherence to local regulations.

Users criticized the product for broken images, slow website performance, and poor code quality, including a lack of testing. The proprietary nature of the API/backend was a concern, limiting self-hosting and interoperability. The business model and market competition were questioned, with doubts about profitability and benefits to consumers and small businesses. Criticisms also targeted the gig economy's impact on wages, limited availability, especially in rural areas, and the lack of global service. The open-source aspect was unclear, and there were issues with delivery methods and rider availability.

Avatar
43
30
-16.7%
-23.3%
30
43
6.7%
Relevance

Check out my food delivery management solution and provide feedback

29 Dec 2023 Delivery

Hey everyone! Over the past few years, I've dedicated my time to crafting a customizable solution for food delivery management. Now, I'm excited to showcase the culmination of all my work. Throughout the development journey, I've successfully incorporated all the planned features and even expanded upon them based on valuable feedback from the community.My methodology has consistently involved seeking input from platforms like Reddit and forums, where I engage with like-minded individuals. Some of the recent enhancements stem directly from this collaborative feedback, and I'm eager to gather more insights on the latest update to the project.Designed with a focus on individuals or businesses looking to start their own food delivery services, this solution simplifies the process of adding vendors, managing food items, coordinating deliveries, and overseeing riders. Beyond these core functionalities, you'll find a bunch of other features, including order tracking, real-time notifications, and more.Since I don’t have a substantial team backing me, I truly appreciate any assistance you can offer. Every form of contribution is valued.Give it a star and share your thoughts in the comments section. Your support means the world to me!

The Show HN product or service received mixed feedback. Users praised the food delivery solution and highlighted the company's dedication to user feedback. There was also support for abbas_NC's efforts and recognition of potential in the technical documentation. However, a significant number of comments were flagged, indicating possible issues or community guideline violations.

Users are turned off by perceived astroturfing, suggesting a lack of authenticity in the product's promotion.

Avatar
12
9
-11.1%
9
12
Relevance

RestoApp - open-source mobile app & website for food delivery services

29 Sep 2024 Open Source Android Food Delivery

Our open-source platform lets you build a food delivery service without developers, using visual programming tools. Plus, we offer grants! Our team will create your website, host it in our cloud — just send us the materials, and we’ll take care of the rest!

RestoApp's Product Hunt launch garnered excitement for its open-source, no-code visual programming platform, simplifying food delivery service creation, especially for non-developers. Users highlighted the appeal of launching delivery services without needing developers. However, several users found the onboarding process confusing. Questions arose regarding system performance under high order volumes and the availability of payment and delivery integrations. Support for the platform and its mission was expressed.

Multiple users found the onboarding process confusing and in need of improvement. Specifically, they requested clearer guidance and additional resources to help new users understand how to use the product effectively. The primary criticism revolves around the lack of clarity during initial setup and usage.

Avatar
152
7
42.9%
7
152
42.9%
Relevance

Foodiv - Next-Gen Website & App Builder with Food Ordering System

06 Feb 2025 SaaS No-Code Productivity

Foodiv.com is a food ordering system and web & app builder for restaurants. Easily set up online ordering, manage orders, and grow your food business (Restaurant, Bakery, Bar, Cafe and others) with a custom website and mobile app—no coding required!

Foodiv.com launched a free food ordering system with a website and app builder for restaurants. An update brings improvements to printing, delivery, and customization. The launch aims for success in the food industry.

Avatar
12
3
3
12
Relevance

I Created an Interactive Delivery Zone Geolocation Module

03 Apr 2024 Maps

Hey everyone! I've created an interactive delivery zone module capable of setting and saving boundaries for various use cases. This is part of the app that I am currently working on; which is a food delivery solution that allows anyone to set up a food delivery application like Foodpanda or Ubereats.In this module, you can create delivery bounds using different points on the map.You can also save the created zones or delete ones that have already been created. Geolocation is enabled so you can get your exact location and create zones within that area. There is also a live demo within the repo so please do check it out and provide your valuable feedback.Please visit and share your thoughts in the comments section. Any type of feedback will be appreciated! Cheers!

Avatar
1
1
Top