Should I Build It Should I Build It
23 May 2025
Photography Maps

A map based platform where photographers list their minishoots and ...

...photography events/workshops. Users search their local area or travelled to area for shoots and workshops

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

Your idea for a map-based platform connecting photographers with users seeking mini-shoots and workshops falls into a crowded space. We've identified around 10 similar products already, indicating a high level of competition. The average engagement across these platforms is low, with only 3 comments per product, suggesting that it's difficult to capture and maintain user attention. While we don't have specific 'use' or 'buy' signals for similar photography-focused platforms, the overall landscape suggests user acquisition and retention will be a challenge, and similar event-based platforms struggle with outdated information and regional availability. You'll need a really compelling differentiator to break through.

Recommendations

  1. Deeply research why existing photography marketplaces or local event platforms haven’t fully succeeded, especially regarding photographer and client acquisition and retention. Don't just look at the features; dig into the user experience, pricing models, and marketing strategies. User reviews and interviews can provide invaluable insights.
  2. If you proceed, identify a niche within photography that is specifically underserved. This could be a geographic area, a photography style (e.g., boudoir, pet photography), or a type of event (e.g., corporate headshots, real estate). Focusing on a niche reduces competition and allows you to tailor your platform and marketing efforts.
  3. Before building a standalone platform, consider building tools or services that integrate with existing photography platforms or marketplaces. This could be a scheduling tool, a payment processing system, or a marketing automation tool. This approach allows you to validate your ideas and build a user base without the cost and complexity of building a new platform from scratch.
  4. Explore adjacent problems in the photography industry that might be more promising. This could include tools for photo editing, portfolio management, or copyright protection. Addressing these pain points could offer a more sustainable business model with less direct competition, since similar apps struggle with adblockers, unclear locations, and outdated events.
  5. Focus on a seamless mobile experience from the start. User feedback from similar platforms highlights issues with mobile functionality. Ensure your platform is responsive, fast, and easy to use on all devices. Consider a progressive web app (PWA) for broader accessibility.
  6. Develop a robust content strategy focused on educating and engaging both photographers and potential clients. This could include blog posts, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes content. Showcasing success stories and highlighting the unique value proposition of your platform can attract users.
  7. Implement a rigorous event verification process to ensure that listings are accurate and up-to-date. User feedback on similar platforms stresses the importance of reliable information. Consider leveraging AI or machine learning to automate the verification process.

Questions

  1. What specific pain points are photographers and clients experiencing with existing solutions that your platform will uniquely address? How will you validate these pain points before building?
  2. How will you differentiate your platform from existing photography marketplaces and event platforms in terms of user experience, pricing, and marketing? What will be your unfair advantage?
  3. What is your plan for acquiring and retaining both photographers and clients on your platform? How will you create a sustainable business model that generates revenue while providing value to both parties?

Your are here

Your idea for a map-based platform connecting photographers with users seeking mini-shoots and workshops falls into a crowded space. We've identified around 10 similar products already, indicating a high level of competition. The average engagement across these platforms is low, with only 3 comments per product, suggesting that it's difficult to capture and maintain user attention. While we don't have specific 'use' or 'buy' signals for similar photography-focused platforms, the overall landscape suggests user acquisition and retention will be a challenge, and similar event-based platforms struggle with outdated information and regional availability. You'll need a really compelling differentiator to break through.

Recommendations

  1. Deeply research why existing photography marketplaces or local event platforms haven’t fully succeeded, especially regarding photographer and client acquisition and retention. Don't just look at the features; dig into the user experience, pricing models, and marketing strategies. User reviews and interviews can provide invaluable insights.
  2. If you proceed, identify a niche within photography that is specifically underserved. This could be a geographic area, a photography style (e.g., boudoir, pet photography), or a type of event (e.g., corporate headshots, real estate). Focusing on a niche reduces competition and allows you to tailor your platform and marketing efforts.
  3. Before building a standalone platform, consider building tools or services that integrate with existing photography platforms or marketplaces. This could be a scheduling tool, a payment processing system, or a marketing automation tool. This approach allows you to validate your ideas and build a user base without the cost and complexity of building a new platform from scratch.
  4. Explore adjacent problems in the photography industry that might be more promising. This could include tools for photo editing, portfolio management, or copyright protection. Addressing these pain points could offer a more sustainable business model with less direct competition, since similar apps struggle with adblockers, unclear locations, and outdated events.
  5. Focus on a seamless mobile experience from the start. User feedback from similar platforms highlights issues with mobile functionality. Ensure your platform is responsive, fast, and easy to use on all devices. Consider a progressive web app (PWA) for broader accessibility.
  6. Develop a robust content strategy focused on educating and engaging both photographers and potential clients. This could include blog posts, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes content. Showcasing success stories and highlighting the unique value proposition of your platform can attract users.
  7. Implement a rigorous event verification process to ensure that listings are accurate and up-to-date. User feedback on similar platforms stresses the importance of reliable information. Consider leveraging AI or machine learning to automate the verification process.

Questions

  1. What specific pain points are photographers and clients experiencing with existing solutions that your platform will uniquely address? How will you validate these pain points before building?
  2. How will you differentiate your platform from existing photography marketplaces and event platforms in terms of user experience, pricing, and marketing? What will be your unfair advantage?
  3. What is your plan for acquiring and retaining both photographers and clients on your platform? How will you create a sustainable business model that generates revenue while providing value to both parties?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 10
  • Engagement: Low
    • Average number of comments: 3
  • Net use signal: -8.5%
    • Positive use signal: 10.9%
    • Negative use signal: 19.4%
  • Net buy signal: -7.3%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 7.3%

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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Hey everyone in the USA!I'm developing a map-based event discovery platform that helps people find unique and exciting events in their city or area. I imagine that it could help young locals who are searching what is to be attended in their area & tourists who are visiting and want to find what to do in the area.But before I unleash it on the world, I need your help!One major pain point that I am trying to solve is information overload and difficulty in discovering relevant events nearby. Traditionally, people might rely on social media, local newspapers, or word-of-mouth to find events happening around them.These methods can be:Scattered: Information is spread across different sources, making it time-consuming to search. Unfiltered: Showing a large amount of events, not necessarily relevant to individual interests. Limited information: Often lacking key details like event descriptions, schedules, or ticket options.So my MVP address these issues by:Aggregating: Bringing together event information from multiple sources in one place. Personalization: Using filters and user preferences to recommend relevant events. Visualization: Displaying events on a map, allowing users to discover events based on location and proximity. Detailed information: Providing comprehensive descriptions and links to purchase tickets.What other features I plan to build: Build-in resell marketplace, own event upload, live-streaming, PPV and more.However I find it difficult to get any feedback on the platform. I've tried paid ads, posting to other Early Adopters websites, personally reaching out to people, who I think are target users, but do not get any meaningful feedback.So I'm eager to hear your honest opinions:What works well in the platform?What needs improvement?Are there any features you'd like to see added?Your feedback will be invaluable in shaping the future of Wiwo!P.S. For now only US users are needed, as other won't find events in their areas :)

Users report issues with adblockers affecting map visibility and functionality, confusion over event locations, and browser compatibility problems. There's interest in AI for event data parsing and requests for better accuracy in event listings. Some users are happy with the idea and execution but suggest UI improvements and more features. Challenges with maintaining event sources and regional availability are noted. Users are reluctant to disable adblockers and there are reports of errors, particularly for non-US locations.

Users criticize the product for requiring an AdBlocker to be disabled to access the map, with frequent requests to do so. The event map has issues with unclear locations, inaccessibility, and compatibility with browsers like Safari and Brave. There are concerns about privacy due to unnecessary third-party IP usage, and the platform's visibility is inconsistent. Users also note incomplete event listings, a lack of explanation for the map page, and a need for better filters and color icons. The monetization strategy is questioned, and there are reports of functionality issues on mobile and in non-US regions.

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