Should I Build It Should I Build It
19 Apr 2025
Productivity

Web service to help lego bulk sorters to reassemble sets and manage ...

...missing parts

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

Your idea for a web service to help LEGO bulk sorters reassemble sets and manage missing parts falls into the 'Freemium' category. This means people are likely to use a service like this, but convincing them to pay will be the challenge. With 4 similar products already in the market, competition exists, but the 'medium' confidence level suggests there's still room for innovation. Engagement around these existing products is high (avg 15 comments), indicating strong interest within the LEGO enthusiast community. However, the lack of net use and net buy signals for these products is concerning, emphasizing the resistance to pay, which is consistent with the freemium label. Therefore, it's crucial to carefully design the freemium/premium feature divide.

Recommendations

  1. Start by deeply understanding the needs and pain points of LEGO bulk sorters. Conduct user interviews and analyze online communities to identify the most valuable features for both free and paid users. Leverage the discussion summary from existing 'Brickd' product launches; users want ways to connect with others around specific sets, suggesting social features could be a strong differentiator.
  2. Identify which users derive the most value from the free version of your service. This could be users with smaller collections or those who primarily use the service for inventory management. Understanding their usage patterns will inform your premium feature development.
  3. Develop premium features that address more advanced needs, such as automated part identification using image recognition, advanced set reconstruction algorithms, or collaborative building tools for teams. Make sure that these features help users solve a painful problem and are willing to pay to have those problems solved.
  4. Instead of solely targeting individual users, consider offering team or family plans. This allows multiple users within a household or LEGO club to benefit from the premium features, increasing the value proposition and willingness to pay. For example, allow collaboration of large builds and allow users to make comments on each others work.
  5. Offer personalized assistance or consulting services to users who require additional support with set reconstruction or part sourcing. This could include one-on-one video calls, custom set inventories, or access to a dedicated support channel. Since this requires a higher level of support it can be monetized directly.
  6. Implement a system for users to easily buy and sell LEGO parts within the platform. This could be integrated with existing marketplaces or function as a standalone marketplace. Take a small percentage of the sales to get additional revenue.
  7. Before a full-scale launch, test different pricing models and feature sets with small groups of users. This allows you to gather feedback and optimize your offering based on real-world usage and willingness to pay. Pay special attention to what features users are willing to pay for!
  8. Be mindful of the criticisms leveled against similar products like 'Brickd,' particularly the concerns about essential features being locked behind a paywall. Ensure that the free version of your service provides significant value and that premium features are genuinely worth the upgrade.
  9. Focus on differentiating your service from existing platforms like Rebrickable. Highlight unique features, such as advanced sorting algorithms or integrated part marketplaces, to create a compelling value proposition for LEGO enthusiasts.

Questions

  1. What specific algorithms or technologies can be used to accurately identify LEGO parts from images, and how can this be integrated into your service to streamline the sorting and reconstruction process?
  2. Given the criticism that hobby apps with paywalls are perceived as cash grabs, how can you design your premium subscription model to provide demonstrable value that justifies the cost and avoids alienating free users?
  3. What strategies can you implement to foster a strong sense of community among users, encouraging them to share their creations, collaborate on projects, and ultimately become advocates for your platform?

Your are here

Your idea for a web service to help LEGO bulk sorters reassemble sets and manage missing parts falls into the 'Freemium' category. This means people are likely to use a service like this, but convincing them to pay will be the challenge. With 4 similar products already in the market, competition exists, but the 'medium' confidence level suggests there's still room for innovation. Engagement around these existing products is high (avg 15 comments), indicating strong interest within the LEGO enthusiast community. However, the lack of net use and net buy signals for these products is concerning, emphasizing the resistance to pay, which is consistent with the freemium label. Therefore, it's crucial to carefully design the freemium/premium feature divide.

Recommendations

  1. Start by deeply understanding the needs and pain points of LEGO bulk sorters. Conduct user interviews and analyze online communities to identify the most valuable features for both free and paid users. Leverage the discussion summary from existing 'Brickd' product launches; users want ways to connect with others around specific sets, suggesting social features could be a strong differentiator.
  2. Identify which users derive the most value from the free version of your service. This could be users with smaller collections or those who primarily use the service for inventory management. Understanding their usage patterns will inform your premium feature development.
  3. Develop premium features that address more advanced needs, such as automated part identification using image recognition, advanced set reconstruction algorithms, or collaborative building tools for teams. Make sure that these features help users solve a painful problem and are willing to pay to have those problems solved.
  4. Instead of solely targeting individual users, consider offering team or family plans. This allows multiple users within a household or LEGO club to benefit from the premium features, increasing the value proposition and willingness to pay. For example, allow collaboration of large builds and allow users to make comments on each others work.
  5. Offer personalized assistance or consulting services to users who require additional support with set reconstruction or part sourcing. This could include one-on-one video calls, custom set inventories, or access to a dedicated support channel. Since this requires a higher level of support it can be monetized directly.
  6. Implement a system for users to easily buy and sell LEGO parts within the platform. This could be integrated with existing marketplaces or function as a standalone marketplace. Take a small percentage of the sales to get additional revenue.
  7. Before a full-scale launch, test different pricing models and feature sets with small groups of users. This allows you to gather feedback and optimize your offering based on real-world usage and willingness to pay. Pay special attention to what features users are willing to pay for!
  8. Be mindful of the criticisms leveled against similar products like 'Brickd,' particularly the concerns about essential features being locked behind a paywall. Ensure that the free version of your service provides significant value and that premium features are genuinely worth the upgrade.
  9. Focus on differentiating your service from existing platforms like Rebrickable. Highlight unique features, such as advanced sorting algorithms or integrated part marketplaces, to create a compelling value proposition for LEGO enthusiasts.

Questions

  1. What specific algorithms or technologies can be used to accurately identify LEGO parts from images, and how can this be integrated into your service to streamline the sorting and reconstruction process?
  2. Given the criticism that hobby apps with paywalls are perceived as cash grabs, how can you design your premium subscription model to provide demonstrable value that justifies the cost and avoids alienating free users?
  3. What strategies can you implement to foster a strong sense of community among users, encouraging them to share their creations, collaborate on projects, and ultimately become advocates for your platform?

  • Confidence: Medium
    • Number of similar products: 4
  • Engagement: High
    • Average number of comments: 15
  • Net use signal: 22.9%
    • Positive use signal: 25.7%
    • Negative use signal: 2.9%
  • Net buy signal: -7.1%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 7.1%

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

brickd - The best way to organize, discover & share LEGO sets

08 Jul 2024 Toys Android Social Media

brickd helps you bring social features in LEGO collecting, building and organizing. Connect with friends, explore new sets, share your MOCs, enter build challenges and more! Available for iOS, and Android and now on the Web!

Brickd's Product Hunt launch received overwhelmingly positive feedback. Users praise the app as a perfect solution for organizing and sharing LEGO sets, connecting with fellow enthusiasts (AFOLs), and enhancing the overall LEGO experience. They appreciate the detailed set information, convenient browsing, and fun build challenges. The intuitive interface, effective search, and pricing information feature also garnered praise. Many are excited about discovering new sets, builders, and techniques. Social integration and character cosmetics are additional perks. A few users reported website button issues for non-logged-in users. Overall, Brickd is seen as a must-have app for LEGO lovers.

Users report broken website buttons for non-logged-in users, hindering accessibility and functionality.

peterclaridge

It's like this app was purpose made for me 😁 I currently use another website to track my lego investments (that's how I sell it to my wife!) and it monitors the sale prices of retired models, but this looks like a great way to connect with like-minded AFOLs!

ler_ws

Ooo I'm a huge fan of Lego, been waiting to sign up for such an app since I was a kid 😮. Can't wait to try this out!

german_merlo1

Amazing job Greg! Loved the idea. I'll give it a try. Congrats!!!

jpgohil93

Hey @gregavola Is brickd the app for me? I love LEGO! Can I connect with friends, find new sets, share creations, and join challenges? (iOS, Android, Web)

andreas_sohns

I love the web version of brickd! its great to have the flexibility to browse and add sets from anywhere, not just on my phone

madzem

With tons of LEGO at my house, I couldn't pass by this project. Upvote! And good luck with the launch.

deleted-6135360

I’m impressed with the detailed set information. It’s super helpful for deciding on my next build.

deleted-7162227

The prospect of discovering new building techniques and design ideas from other builders around the world is exciting.

deleted-7055852

This app seems like the perfect solution. Looking forward to organizing my collection in a whole new way.

deleted-7162087

The app's inclusion of build challenges is a great way to keep the LEGO building experience fresh and engaging. It adds a competitive yet friendly element that I'm eager to participate in.

dushusir

rickd is an innovative app designed for LEGO enthusiasts, offering the best way to organize, discover, and share LEGO sets. With its social features, users can connect with friends, explore new sets, share their custom builds (MOCs), and participate in build challenges. Available on iOS, Android, and now on the web, Brickd enhances the LEGO community experience, making it easier and more fun to manage collections and engage with fellow fans. This app is a must-have for anyone passionate about LEGO.

Avatar
273
31
35.5%
31
273
35.5%
Relevance

brickd - The best way to organize, discover and share your LEGO sets

28 Feb 2024 Android Social Media Photography

brickd helps you organize, discover and share LEGO sets in a whole new way to share the experience of building with the world. User can share their sets in an activity feed, and document their building journey with "Build Notes" to share photos and comments.

Users are expressing interest and excitement about Brickd's launch and its potential within the LEGO community. A key question revolves around how Brickd differentiates itself from existing platforms like Rebrickable. Users are interested in connecting with others who own specific LEGO sets, but require improved features for this. There is overall positive feedback and anticipation for Brickd's impact on the LEGO world.

The main criticisms focus on the app's differentiation and markup. Users question the product's unique value proposition and suggest improvements to the app's markup, implying that more work is needed in this area.

Avatar
90
5
20.0%
5
90
20.0%
Relevance

brickd - Discover, share, and organize your LEGO collection

05 Sep 2024 Social Network Android

The best way to organize, share, and discover your LEGO sets around the world from the palm of your hand, now with Discussions to engage the community to chat about LEGO!

The new discussion feature for the LEGO community is generally well-received, with users expressing excitement and offering suggestions for improvement, particularly around discovery, engagement, and gamification. Questions arose about the value of paid subscriptions, feature limitations, and the need for unique features to differentiate the app. Some users are concerned about the 'discussions' feature potentially becoming a distraction or social media rabbit hole, and are wary of useful features being locked behind a paywall. Others love the app and its continuous improvements.

Users criticize the product for lacking differentiation in its discovery features and questioning the value of the 'Questions' app compared to existing platforms. The paid subscription model, especially for a hobby app, is seen as a potential cash grab with too much content behind a paywall. Concerns exist around LEGO organization diminishing fun and the Brick Builder subscription locking essential features. Paid discussions are considered a waste of time, and the 'Questions' subscription raises worries about spam and unclear benefits.

Avatar
191
20
20.0%
-25.0%
20
191
30.0%
Top