Should I Build It Should I Build It
19 Apr 2025
Writing Books

An app to help readers keep track of their long reads, like multi ...

...volume sagas, by extracting characters locations concepts and presenting summaries and insights

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Freemium

People love using similar products but resist paying. You’ll need to either find who will pay or create additional value that’s worth paying for.

Should You Build It?

Build but think about differentiation and monetization.

Your are here

You're stepping into a space with several existing players in the freemium model, as indicated by the 15 similar products we found. This suggests a validated need for tools assisting readers, but also highlights that you'll face competition. The relatively low average comment count (6) across similar products indicates moderate engagement. This could mean that while people are interested, they might not be deeply invested or satisfied with current solutions. Since you fall into the 'Freemium' category, people are generally hesitant to pay for similar tools, so you'll need a solid plan to differentiate yourself and identify those users who will derive so much value that they happily pull out their credit cards. The key will be to find a way to give away enough value while enticing them to pay for more.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by deeply understanding your potential users. Since you want to help readers track 'long reads,' define what constitutes a 'long read' for your target audience. Is it the number of pages, the complexity of the plot, or something else? Conduct user interviews to learn about their current reading habits, pain points, and what they already use to track their reading progress.
  2. Identify who benefits the most from the free version of your app. Perhaps it's casual readers who want a basic overview. Knowing this segment well, create premium features specifically tailored to their needs. Examples include advanced character relationship mapping, deeper thematic analysis, or collaborative reading groups.
  3. Explore charging teams rather than individuals. Book clubs or educational institutions might be willing to pay for a collaborative reading platform with enhanced features like shared annotations, discussion forums, and progress tracking for multiple readers. Pitch your app as a tool that makes long-form, collaborative reading more manageable.
  4. Consider offering personalized help or consulting. For instance, you could offer a 'reading concierge' service for complex books, providing chapter summaries, character guides, and even facilitating online discussions. This would cater to users who want more than just an app and are willing to pay for expert guidance.
  5. Given the criticism that similar apps can feel gimmicky and lack depth, focus on providing accurate and insightful summaries and analyses. Ensure your AI extracts information correctly and provides context. Don't just summarize; offer unique perspectives and interpretations that enhance the reading experience. Learn from the mistakes of similar products like 'Hello Literature' and avoid shallow character interactions.
  6. Test different pricing approaches with small groups. Offer early access to your premium features and gather feedback on what users are willing to pay for. Experiment with various pricing models like monthly subscriptions, one-time purchases for specific features, or a tiered system based on usage.
  7. Incorporate features that promote habit formation. Consider adding elements like reading streaks, progress visualizations, and personalized reading plans, as suggested by feedback on 'Ultimate Notion Book Tracker.' Make it easy for users to track their progress and stay motivated.
  8. Address the lack of a book recommendation feature found in apps like ReadHero. Integrate a recommendation engine that suggests similar books based on a user's reading history and preferences. This can increase user engagement and help readers discover new long reads.
  9. Avoid the 'claustrophobic experience' that users criticized in 'Parikar.' Ensure your app provides users with control over their reading experience and offers context. Allow them to customize the interface, adjust reading speed, and add their own notes and annotations.

Questions

  1. How can you ensure the AI-generated summaries and character/location extractions are accurate and insightful enough to differentiate your app from existing solutions that users find 'gimmicky'?
  2. Considering the freemium model, what specific premium features will provide enough added value that users will gladly pay for them, and how will you market these features effectively?
  3. How can you leverage user-generated content or collaborative features to create a community around long reads, making your app more engaging and valuable in the long term?

Your are here

You're stepping into a space with several existing players in the freemium model, as indicated by the 15 similar products we found. This suggests a validated need for tools assisting readers, but also highlights that you'll face competition. The relatively low average comment count (6) across similar products indicates moderate engagement. This could mean that while people are interested, they might not be deeply invested or satisfied with current solutions. Since you fall into the 'Freemium' category, people are generally hesitant to pay for similar tools, so you'll need a solid plan to differentiate yourself and identify those users who will derive so much value that they happily pull out their credit cards. The key will be to find a way to give away enough value while enticing them to pay for more.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by deeply understanding your potential users. Since you want to help readers track 'long reads,' define what constitutes a 'long read' for your target audience. Is it the number of pages, the complexity of the plot, or something else? Conduct user interviews to learn about their current reading habits, pain points, and what they already use to track their reading progress.
  2. Identify who benefits the most from the free version of your app. Perhaps it's casual readers who want a basic overview. Knowing this segment well, create premium features specifically tailored to their needs. Examples include advanced character relationship mapping, deeper thematic analysis, or collaborative reading groups.
  3. Explore charging teams rather than individuals. Book clubs or educational institutions might be willing to pay for a collaborative reading platform with enhanced features like shared annotations, discussion forums, and progress tracking for multiple readers. Pitch your app as a tool that makes long-form, collaborative reading more manageable.
  4. Consider offering personalized help or consulting. For instance, you could offer a 'reading concierge' service for complex books, providing chapter summaries, character guides, and even facilitating online discussions. This would cater to users who want more than just an app and are willing to pay for expert guidance.
  5. Given the criticism that similar apps can feel gimmicky and lack depth, focus on providing accurate and insightful summaries and analyses. Ensure your AI extracts information correctly and provides context. Don't just summarize; offer unique perspectives and interpretations that enhance the reading experience. Learn from the mistakes of similar products like 'Hello Literature' and avoid shallow character interactions.
  6. Test different pricing approaches with small groups. Offer early access to your premium features and gather feedback on what users are willing to pay for. Experiment with various pricing models like monthly subscriptions, one-time purchases for specific features, or a tiered system based on usage.
  7. Incorporate features that promote habit formation. Consider adding elements like reading streaks, progress visualizations, and personalized reading plans, as suggested by feedback on 'Ultimate Notion Book Tracker.' Make it easy for users to track their progress and stay motivated.
  8. Address the lack of a book recommendation feature found in apps like ReadHero. Integrate a recommendation engine that suggests similar books based on a user's reading history and preferences. This can increase user engagement and help readers discover new long reads.
  9. Avoid the 'claustrophobic experience' that users criticized in 'Parikar.' Ensure your app provides users with control over their reading experience and offers context. Allow them to customize the interface, adjust reading speed, and add their own notes and annotations.

Questions

  1. How can you ensure the AI-generated summaries and character/location extractions are accurate and insightful enough to differentiate your app from existing solutions that users find 'gimmicky'?
  2. Considering the freemium model, what specific premium features will provide enough added value that users will gladly pay for them, and how will you market these features effectively?
  3. How can you leverage user-generated content or collaborative features to create a community around long reads, making your app more engaging and valuable in the long term?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 15
  • Engagement: Medium
    • Average number of comments: 6
  • Net use signal: 13.6%
    • Positive use signal: 22.8%
    • Negative use signal: 9.1%
  • Net buy signal: -4.9%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 4.9%

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.

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