Should I Build It Should I Build It
05 May 2025
Food & Drink

a database for food reviews, so like if i really like this monster ...

...flavour i can go in and leave a review for it.

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Minimal Signal

There’s barely any market activity - either because the problem is very niche or not important enough. You’ll need to prove real demand exists before investing significant time.

Should You Build It?

Not yet, validate more.

Your are here

Your idea for a database of food reviews, focusing on specific items like a particular Monster flavor, falls into a challenging category: Minimal Signal. This means there isn't a lot of established market activity or demand for this type of very niche product. With only two similar products found and low engagement (average of 0 comments), it suggests that while the idea might have merit for you personally, it may not resonate widely with others currently. The fact that there's no real 'use' or 'buy' signal from similar ventures further emphasizes the need to validate the demand before investing heavily in this project. Given these factors, jumping straight into building a full-fledged database might be premature.

Recommendations

  1. First, pinpoint online communities where your target audience congregates. Given your focus on specific food/drink items, relevant subreddits, forums dedicated to specific brands (like Monster), or even niche food review sites could be good starting points. Share your idea there and directly solicit feedback to gauge the level of interest. Be specific about the problem you're solving and ask if others experience the same pain points.
  2. To validate your idea, consider offering a manual review service to a small group of potential users. For example, you could create a simple Google Form where people can submit requests for reviews of specific Monster flavors. Fulfill these requests manually and gather feedback on the value of your reviews. This will give you tangible data on whether your service is actually helpful.
  3. Create a short, engaging explainer video showcasing the benefits of your food review database. Highlight the specific problems it solves (e.g., difficulty finding reliable reviews for niche items) and the unique value it offers. Share this video on relevant online communities and track the watch time and engagement to assess interest.
  4. Gauge commitment by asking interested users for a small deposit to join a waiting list for your database. This acts as a stronger signal of demand than simply expressing interest. Emphasize that the deposit is refundable if the project doesn't proceed, but its a way to prove they really want it and are more than just casually interested.
  5. Set a clear timeline for validation. If you can't find at least five genuinely interested people within a three-week period, it may be wise to reconsider the project or pivot to a more viable approach. Don't get emotionally attached to the idea without evidence of real demand.

Questions

  1. Beyond personal preference, what evidence do you have that others are actively seeking a database like the one you've described, especially for niche items? Can you quantify the potential user base?
  2. How would you differentiate your database from existing review platforms (e.g., Yelp, Google Reviews) to attract users and content, specifically for less common products?
  3. Given the potential challenge of generating initial content, what specific strategies would you employ to incentivize users to contribute reviews, especially for products with limited existing coverage?

Your are here

Your idea for a database of food reviews, focusing on specific items like a particular Monster flavor, falls into a challenging category: Minimal Signal. This means there isn't a lot of established market activity or demand for this type of very niche product. With only two similar products found and low engagement (average of 0 comments), it suggests that while the idea might have merit for you personally, it may not resonate widely with others currently. The fact that there's no real 'use' or 'buy' signal from similar ventures further emphasizes the need to validate the demand before investing heavily in this project. Given these factors, jumping straight into building a full-fledged database might be premature.

Recommendations

  1. First, pinpoint online communities where your target audience congregates. Given your focus on specific food/drink items, relevant subreddits, forums dedicated to specific brands (like Monster), or even niche food review sites could be good starting points. Share your idea there and directly solicit feedback to gauge the level of interest. Be specific about the problem you're solving and ask if others experience the same pain points.
  2. To validate your idea, consider offering a manual review service to a small group of potential users. For example, you could create a simple Google Form where people can submit requests for reviews of specific Monster flavors. Fulfill these requests manually and gather feedback on the value of your reviews. This will give you tangible data on whether your service is actually helpful.
  3. Create a short, engaging explainer video showcasing the benefits of your food review database. Highlight the specific problems it solves (e.g., difficulty finding reliable reviews for niche items) and the unique value it offers. Share this video on relevant online communities and track the watch time and engagement to assess interest.
  4. Gauge commitment by asking interested users for a small deposit to join a waiting list for your database. This acts as a stronger signal of demand than simply expressing interest. Emphasize that the deposit is refundable if the project doesn't proceed, but its a way to prove they really want it and are more than just casually interested.
  5. Set a clear timeline for validation. If you can't find at least five genuinely interested people within a three-week period, it may be wise to reconsider the project or pivot to a more viable approach. Don't get emotionally attached to the idea without evidence of real demand.

Questions

  1. Beyond personal preference, what evidence do you have that others are actively seeking a database like the one you've described, especially for niche items? Can you quantify the potential user base?
  2. How would you differentiate your database from existing review platforms (e.g., Yelp, Google Reviews) to attract users and content, specifically for less common products?
  3. Given the potential challenge of generating initial content, what specific strategies would you employ to incentivize users to contribute reviews, especially for products with limited existing coverage?

  • Confidence: Low
    • Number of similar products: 2
  • Engagement: Low
    • Average number of comments: 0
  • Net use signal: 0.0%
    • Positive use signal: 0.0%
    • Negative use signal: 0.0%
  • Net buy signal: 0.0%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 0.0%

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

Tasty.li – A New Way to Explore Culinary Experiences

19 Mar 2024 Food & Drink

Show HN: Tasty.li - A New Culinary Exploration Service Focused on Dishes, Not Venues (Proof of Concept)Excited to share with the HN community a proof of concept for a service I've been developing: Tasty.li. It's a unique platform dedicated to enhancing culinary experiences by allowing users to explore, rate, and discover dishes rather than venues. Our aim is to cater to different personas - from Experts and Explorers to Guests with dietary restrictions, helping them craft expectations and share their feedback on individual meals.Key Features: - Rate dishes and explore top-rated meals in any restaurant. - Discover meals that match dietary restrictions. - Recall personal dining experiences. - Advanced communication tools and analytical insights for restaurants.Current State: Tasty.li is in its early stages, with our database currently focusing on establishments in Portugal. While we're enthusiastic about the concept, it's important to note that the platform is not yet fully operational. We're still working on expanding our database and improving technical readiness. Thus, Tasty.li is more of a proof of concept than an MVP, with limited functions and known bugs.We're keen on receiving feedback, insights, and suggestions from the HN community to help us refine and enhance Tasty.li. Your input will be invaluable as we work towards making this service more robust and comprehensive.Please note that while Tasty.li is playable, its functionality is currently constrained, and you might encounter some bugs. We're dedicated to improving the platform and eagerly anticipate your constructive feedback.For those interested, please explore the service at [https://tasty.li](https://tasty.li) and let us know your thoughts in the comments. We're here to answer any questions and discuss further.Remember, Tasty.li is all about helping you find the best dishes, not just the best restaurants. Whether it's the top Bacalhau in Porto or the best Tom Yum in your city, we're here to guide your culinary journey. Let's make dining out a more memorable and personalized experience together!

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