Should I Build It Should I Build It
02 Jul 2025
Email

people having problems with email overload for gmail and outlook

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 entering a market where people are actively seeking solutions for email overload in Gmail and Outlook, as evidenced by the 9 similar products we found. This indicates significant competition but also validates the problem's importance. The high average number of comments (14) on these similar products suggests high engagement, indicating that users are actively discussing and seeking these solutions. However, the fact that your idea falls under the 'Freemium' category means users are often reluctant to pay for such services. The challenge will be to identify what unique value you can offer that users are willing to pay for. You need to differentiate your solution and devise a compelling monetization strategy.

Recommendations

  1. Given the freemium nature of this market and the discussions around competing products, first focus on a niche within email overload, such as specifically targeting newsletters or calendar invites. Then, identify which user segment derives the most value from the free version of your product. By understanding their needs intimately, you can tailor premium features that address their specific pain points and provide significantly more value.
  2. Building on the first recommendation, create premium features that genuinely enhance the free experience. Instead of simply limiting usage, consider offering advanced AI-powered filtering, summarization, or automated response features. Focus on features that save users considerable time and effort, thus justifying the cost.
  3. Drawing inspiration from the criticisms of similar products which highlight security and privacy concerns, consider emphasizing local processing and open-source elements to build trust. Clearly communicate how your solution protects user data and addresses privacy risks. If local processing is not possible, be very transparent about data handling practices.
  4. As some users have expressed concerns about AI accidentally deleting important emails, design your AI features to be highly controllable and transparent. Give users granular control over AI actions and provide clear explanations of how the AI makes decisions. This transparency can alleviate fears and build trust.
  5. Experiment with different monetization models. Explore charging teams rather than individuals, especially if your solution enhances collaboration. Consider offering personalized help or consulting services for larger organizations that need assistance implementing your solution. You can also A/B test different pricing strategies with smaller user groups to understand pricing sensitivity.
  6. Regarding product development, you can include better attachment management and email preview features, since those suggestions showed up frequently in similar product discussions.
  7. Incorporate IMAP integration in the product since there has been demand for it among similar products.

Questions

  1. Given the concerns about intrusive permissions and security, how will you build trust with users from day one and ensure transparency in your data handling practices?
  2. Considering that users have expressed frustration with the limitations of existing inbox systems, how can you leverage AI to create a genuinely innovative and user-friendly email management experience that goes beyond simple filtering and summarization?
  3. Given the competition in the freemium email management space, what specific niche or user segment will you initially target, and how will you tailor your premium features to provide exceptional value for that specific group?

Your are here

You're entering a market where people are actively seeking solutions for email overload in Gmail and Outlook, as evidenced by the 9 similar products we found. This indicates significant competition but also validates the problem's importance. The high average number of comments (14) on these similar products suggests high engagement, indicating that users are actively discussing and seeking these solutions. However, the fact that your idea falls under the 'Freemium' category means users are often reluctant to pay for such services. The challenge will be to identify what unique value you can offer that users are willing to pay for. You need to differentiate your solution and devise a compelling monetization strategy.

Recommendations

  1. Given the freemium nature of this market and the discussions around competing products, first focus on a niche within email overload, such as specifically targeting newsletters or calendar invites. Then, identify which user segment derives the most value from the free version of your product. By understanding their needs intimately, you can tailor premium features that address their specific pain points and provide significantly more value.
  2. Building on the first recommendation, create premium features that genuinely enhance the free experience. Instead of simply limiting usage, consider offering advanced AI-powered filtering, summarization, or automated response features. Focus on features that save users considerable time and effort, thus justifying the cost.
  3. Drawing inspiration from the criticisms of similar products which highlight security and privacy concerns, consider emphasizing local processing and open-source elements to build trust. Clearly communicate how your solution protects user data and addresses privacy risks. If local processing is not possible, be very transparent about data handling practices.
  4. As some users have expressed concerns about AI accidentally deleting important emails, design your AI features to be highly controllable and transparent. Give users granular control over AI actions and provide clear explanations of how the AI makes decisions. This transparency can alleviate fears and build trust.
  5. Experiment with different monetization models. Explore charging teams rather than individuals, especially if your solution enhances collaboration. Consider offering personalized help or consulting services for larger organizations that need assistance implementing your solution. You can also A/B test different pricing strategies with smaller user groups to understand pricing sensitivity.
  6. Regarding product development, you can include better attachment management and email preview features, since those suggestions showed up frequently in similar product discussions.
  7. Incorporate IMAP integration in the product since there has been demand for it among similar products.

Questions

  1. Given the concerns about intrusive permissions and security, how will you build trust with users from day one and ensure transparency in your data handling practices?
  2. Considering that users have expressed frustration with the limitations of existing inbox systems, how can you leverage AI to create a genuinely innovative and user-friendly email management experience that goes beyond simple filtering and summarization?
  3. Given the competition in the freemium email management space, what specific niche or user segment will you initially target, and how will you tailor your premium features to provide exceptional value for that specific group?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 9
  • Engagement: High
    • Average number of comments: 14
  • Net use signal: 19.2%
    • Positive use signal: 28.5%
    • Negative use signal: 9.2%
  • Net buy signal: -4.6%
    • Positive buy signal: 3.1%
    • Negative buy signal: 7.7%

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 made a Chrome extension to clean up your Gmail inbox locally

15 May 2024 Email Chrome Extensions

Hi everyone,My motivation for building this was to address the trouble of mass unsubscribing from unwanted emails and deleting bulk emails while ensuring privacy and control over the process. With this Chrome extension, emails are not sent to any external servers. All calls to the Gmail API happen locally on your device.Feedback and suggestions are welcome!

Users expressed concerns about the browser extension's intrusive permissions and security, with some preferring official APIs for stability. GabrielAI's features like email filtering, drafting replies, and summarizing were noted, but its data sharing with third parties raised privacy issues. Users suggested improvements like better attachment management and email preview features. There were requests for code sharing, open-source contributions, and a preference for one-time licenses over subscriptions. Some users found the extension useful and provided positive feedback, while others questioned the privacy policy and data handling practices. There were also comments on email management, such as sorting, archiving, and unsubscribing from bulk emails.

Users criticized the Show HN product for requiring intrusive permissions, undermining trust in data handling, and raising privacy concerns. The need for browser extension permissions was questioned, and there were issues with Gmail's rate limits and Thunderbird's archiving process. The product's usability, such as threading toggles and email domain stats, was lacking. Users were wary of closed source extensions and had trust issues with the authors. The cost, subscription model, and unclear legal terms were also points of contention. There was no Firefox extension, and the product was seen as contrary to Gmail's model.

https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=toisanji

nice work, I wouldn't pay monthly for this, but I would buy a one time license.

https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=mateus1

I was looking for this for some time. Bought the 7-day license and it was useful.I would love to preview some emails (are these just promos or do they include receipts?), perhaps by hovering or clicking the sender.

https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=alimbada

I use a Google Apps Script to clean up my Gmail inbox. It runs daily, searches for various senders and/or subject lines which are older than a certain amount of time and moves them to the Trash/Bin. It runs without intervention and I've got it set up to report any failures back to my inbox. Since my workplace also uses Google I've even set up a Script for my work inbox on my work account. Various notification emails, e.g. from Slack get cleaned up if older than 3 days old.

https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=mateus1

Thank you! I will check it out

https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=nokun7

Yes, that is exactly what I want. Super cool.

https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=thefisola

Thanks!I used https://screen.studio/ for the showcase videos and for the YouTube video I used a combination of Canva/Eleven Labs + Some manual mouse zooming

https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=thefisola

I already explained in a reply:"All these processes happen on your browser(device). The extension uses the Gmail API locally on your browser to perform all the necessary tasks. Your emails never get sent to any external server."Hope you give it a try.

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Forage Mail - AI that solves email overwhelm. Not another mail app.

26 Feb 2025 Artificial Intelligence Email Productivity

Forage filters low-priority emails from your Gmail. It sends you a clean, daily summary of the emails it filtered out, including a TLDR for every newsletter. It learns your preferences and gives you full control with custom rules. Works with any email app.

Forage Mail is highly praised for its ability to clean and manage inboxes, reduce email clutter, and provide time-saving summaries, especially for newsletters. Users appreciate the daily summary and TLDR features, ease of use, and responsive team. Several users express excitement about the product's innovation and customization. A recurring request is for the addition of pricing information to the website. Some users have security concerns and suggest open-sourcing or IMAP integration.

Users criticize the lack of pricing information on the website and express concerns about the reliability of AI-powered email management, particularly regarding potential deletion of important emails and the effectiveness of filters. The need for more control over AI actions and the desire for open-source and IMAP integration were also voiced. Users are wary of excessive promotions and security issues. The current inbox system is seen as outdated, prompting a demand for AI-driven improvements and better email summarization.

ernestkou

I started withskepticismand ended withinbox zeroafter struggling for 6 months."Another email app? C'mon." or so I thought.I'm anewsletter hoarderand I have thousands of unread emails that I had to spend a good chunk of time to sift through daily (to leave my favorite/potentially useful ones unread). This made email a source of anxiety when it used to be a curated learning space (without the noise of social media).But I subscribed to a paid plan just one week into my two-week free trial. It was a no-brainer because I cut down my email time to 5 minutes AND went through all the new emails each day.If you've tried many "inbox zero" apps but still end up with tons of emails, you need Forage Mail ASAP. Don't view it as another email interface like Spark or Superhuman, but more of an integration that wraps & summarizes your inbox to help you prioritize what to consume or spend time on.

yoel_lapscher

Excellent product!! Cannot recommend it enough. Saves me hours of time sifting through the haystack my email has become

busmark_w_nika

Good luck with the launch Richie and team :) I bookmarked this because one of my mailboxes is becoming a mess so was looking for something like this. :)

ericfriedman

the current inbox system is antiquated and almost demands a AI solution. Excited for what Forage can do. Saving people time is always a good idea.

kay_arkain

This looks like the ideal product for someone like me—my email inbox is a disaster! The daily summary feature is a great addition. I’ve always been a bit cautious about using tools like this, wondering if they might delete crucial emails. Congrats on the launch !🎉

mathew_lazarus1

I’ve been using Forage for a few weeks now and couldn’t be happier.I personally manage my inbox with Read/Unread which means I lose the Primary/Social/Promotions tab - so Forage gives me back that baseline filtering so my inbox is actually useful.The team is very responsive and thoughtful. Thank you!!!

olga_onikienko

I’ve tried so many email filters, but they always either miss things or bury something important. Excited to see if Forage Mail can finally strike the right balance. How quickly does it learn my preferences?

nadiadiaspora

I've been using this for a few weeks and can't stress enough how much it has changed my email experience for the better! Forage Mail just makes sense; it's one of those products that every person would benefit from using- or it should already be built in to every email.It integrates seamlessly into my existing mailboxes and there is no headache about learning a new app or changing the way you already do things. It's like having a friend who has already gone through your inbox for you.Over the years I've accumulated so many subscriptions, newsletters etc that have just made my inboxes exhausting. I think I have avoided other apps/solutions because they felt like added complexity to an already complicated feeling inbox, so in contrast Forage feels like it was truly built for everyone.The difference that it made within days was wonderful. It's a no brainer honestly.

yael_shemer1

I've been using this product since it launched and am super excited for the pace of innovation and customization the team has created!

dannyhuntco

I started using Forage 2 months ago and I'm now staying on top of my inbox without getting lost in endless scrolling or overwhelmed by long articles. It truly has changed my relationship to my inbox.

minnowpark

I saw this launch and came here to comment through my Forage email this morning. It was a simple one line that this was launched on Product Hunt. One click, and here I am. The only emails i see in my inbox are from family, friends, and Forage and I’m so much happier because of it.

jack_dille

I’ve bounced around different email clients for the last few years without a satisfying solution, and I’m excited to say Forage has helped me clean up my inbox in a flash. I particularly enjoy the newsletter summaries as I used to miss most of the content I’m already subscribed to because it was buried in my inbox. Thank you, Forage!

whatshivamdo

This is really big thing for anyone drowning in email clutter! The "digital junk drawer" analogy is spot on--email is essential, yet managing it feels like an endless battle.Forage Mail’s approach of working with existing email apps instead of replacing them is a smart move, making adoption frictionless. The daily summary with TLDRs of newsletters is a killer feature, especially for those who subscribe to multiple but struggle to keep up.Congrats on the launch!Best wishes and sending lots of wins to the team :)@richiebonilla

marianna_tymchuk

I love newsletters, but I never seem to have time to read them. Getting a TLDR summary every day sounds like the perfect way to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. Can’t wait to try this!

startupstella

Great team!! Excited to try this out!

jun_gong

signed up for Forage last week, and it’s already my go-to for managing newsletters - loving it! kudos to the team, they're super responsive to feedback 🧡

andrew_look

It has been so awesome reading my newsletters in a calmer place, without them clogging up my inbox. So excited about the progress here

ashaegan

Forage legit saves me hours a day, love the summaries and filters

ajay27324

Having control over all actions in email applications on actual basis is not an easy tasks, i think Forage mail will simplify every monitoring tasks over mail.

manish_choudhary19

This is life saver, would love to give it a try✨

hussein_r

This is such a game-changer! Inbox overload is real, and Forage Mail seems like the perfect balance between automation and control. Love the daily summary idea, getting a TL;DR of newsletters alone is worth it. Definitely giving this a try, curious to see how well the AI learns my preferences over time!

gerard_lange

This app is straight gas. Took my email from a hellscape to a breeze in seconds

nick_confrey

a delightful and easy onboarding experience! looking forward to getting my first summary.

francescopiccoli

Seems cool, will try it soon

keshavatearth

hey, I really want to see pricing before signing up. I don't see a way to do that on the website for now.

alexandr_deev1

Newsletters are great, but my inbox is so cluttered that I end up ignoring them. A daily summary with key takeaways might actually help me stay on top of them. Curious to see how well the summaries capture the main points!

rosspower

I'm fortunate to have managed to get early access to this and have absolutely loved the experience over the past month. I'm a zero email obsessor which comes at a massive cost - I've ended up focusing more on zero inbox than actually engaging and reading from the great writers and creators I have signed-up to over the years.With Forage for the first time in a while, I'm going back to previously buried newsletters, and finally cleaning my inbox of the spam and clutter.The team are also moving at pace - integrating new requests and ideas rapidly, learning fast, building for real users, and ultimately solving a problem that many have tried, but few have succeeded in.This is where AI really counts - making our lives more human by freeing up time for creative work, and cleaning out the crap!

mikestaub

This is the killer app for LLMs. I would make it open source and add IMAP integration.

netology

The GTM is lightning speed! Launched 2 months ago, found by way of a cool FB marketing ad.Does this work with Google Workspace custom domains?And is the pricing for one email or multiple Gmail accounts?Will try it out

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ZenoZaps - Personalized AI to take the stress out of email overload

15 Aug 2023 Email Customer Communication Chrome Extensions

Struggling to keep up with the constant stream of emails? ZenoZaps takes the stress out of email overload by generating fast, accurate replies that are tailored to the content of your previous emails and your style. Integrated with Gmail, Outlook, Freshdesk.

The Product Hunt launch received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many users congratulating the team and expressing excitement about the product. Several users highlighted the tool's potential to save time and improve workflow. There's anticipation for future developments and positive comments on its cool design. A user also inquired about the product's relation to TextCortex or ZenoZaps. Overall, the launch was well-received.

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A Secure, Local AI Solution for a Tidy Gmail Inbox

25 Oct 2024 Email

Hey HN! We’re a small team of friends who built an app to help you clean up your Gmail inbox — privately and locally.# The ProblemWe all get bombarded with emails, making inbox management overwhelming. Many tools can help, but they often require cloud access, risking your data privacy.# Our SolutionOur app uses local large language models (LLMs) to smartly organize your emails, highlighting what’s important and filtering out the noise — without sending data to the cloud.# Why It’s Different- Private: Runs entirely on your device; no data leaves your machine. - Open Source: You can review everything before using it.# Why It MattersIn a world where data privacy is crucial, our app provides AI-powered inbox decluttering without sacrificing control of your information.We’d love to hear your feedback and ideas to help us improve. Thanks for checking us out!

Users appreciate the effort and the local, private nature of the app, which uses LLMs for Gmail inbox cleanup. Concerns were raised about email security risks, but the project runs locally with no outside connectivity and is open source. Some users criticized the UX and bulk action limitations, while others appreciated the workflow and deletion handling, suggesting that these features be highlighted in a demo.

The product has received criticism for unaddressed security risks, particularly in email and prompt injection vulnerabilities. Additionally, users have pointed out poor user experience (UX) and the lack of bulk action modification features.

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I have built a way to never write an email again

08 Oct 2024 Email

I built MailWizard, a Chrome extension that eliminates traditional email writing in Gmail. It uses AI-powered Q&A to generate both new emails and replies based on your choices, working directly in Gmail. Would love feedback on the concept and implementation.

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Simple email mode for Gmail's 20th anniversary

01 Apr 2024 Email Productivity

On April 1st 2004, Google released Gmail.Twenty years later, I'm releasing an open source email app that helps you reach inbox zero for a single day: Simple Email ModeSimple Mode makes handling less overwhelming:* Handle emails in batches of 5* Long emails summarized* Timer to gamify maintain focus* Set aside what you want to handle later. Archive the restYou can try it completely free at https://getinboxzero.com under the Early Access tab.The GitHub repo: https://github.com/elie222/inbox-zeroOnly for Gmail users at this time.

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