Should I Build It Should I Build It
22 Aug 2025
Parenting Education Kids & Parenting Kids

Build an app for parents to understand kids behavior better and ...

...respond accordingly

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

You're entering a crowded space in the parenting app market, which we categorize as a 'Swamp.' This means there are already numerous solutions available, but none have really captured the hearts (or wallets) of parents. With 14 similar products already out there, standing out will be tough. The engagement with these existing apps is low, averaging only 3 comments per launch, so it means it's going to be hard to break through the noise. The good news is that these products tend to get positive feedback and the willingness to pay is pretty high -- only 5% of the products in our database have that level of positive signal. But you'll need to bring something truly unique to the table to avoid becoming just another face in the crowd. Don't let this discourage you though, as the metrics also show that it might be just the right time to create a solution people will pay for.

Recommendations

  1. Before diving in, spend significant time researching why existing parenting apps haven't fully succeeded. Identify their shortcomings and areas where they fail to meet parents' needs. Read the reviews and comments from sources outside of product launch sites. This will inform your strategy and help you differentiate your app.
  2. Instead of targeting all parents, focus on a specific niche or group of parents with unique challenges. For example, parents of children with specific behavioral issues like ADHD. Bonding Health is a similar product that is specifically targeted at parents of kids with ADHD. By focusing on a niche you can tailor your app's features and content to their specific needs, increasing its relevance and value.
  3. Consider creating tools or features that integrate with existing parenting platforms or services. Instead of building a standalone app, provide value-added services that enhance the functionality of established solutions. Partnering with established platforms can provide access to a wider audience and reduce the need for extensive marketing efforts.
  4. Explore related problems that might be more promising. For instance, instead of focusing solely on behavior, consider addressing related issues like sleep patterns, nutrition, or screen time management. By broadening your scope, you can attract a wider audience and offer a more comprehensive solution.
  5. Given that the 'About' page was a point of criticism for 'Five', ensure that your app's description and marketing materials accurately reflect its core functionality and value proposition. Misrepresenting the product's function can lead to user dissatisfaction and negative reviews. Be upfront about what your app does and how it benefits parents.
  6. Address the data protection and privacy concerns raised by users of 'Riley.' Implement robust security measures and transparent data handling policies to ensure the safety and privacy of user data. Communicate these measures clearly to build trust with your users.
  7. Based on the feedback for 'Positive Parenting,' consider implementing a history or memory feature that allows users to review past actions and insights within the app. This can enhance the user experience and provide a convenient way to track progress and reference previous advice.
  8. Learn from Cape's launch and create a visually appealing landing page with screenshots or a video to showcase your app's features and benefits. This will help potential users understand what your app does and why they should download it.

Questions

  1. Given the existing solutions, what unique methodology or framework for understanding child behavior will your app employ that differentiates it from competitors and truly resonates with parents?
  2. Considering the low engagement observed in similar apps, how will you foster a community or create features that encourage ongoing interaction and user feedback within your app to maintain long-term engagement?
  3. With data privacy being a significant concern, how will you ensure that your AI-driven app adheres to ethical guidelines and protects children's data while providing personalized insights?

Your are here

You're entering a crowded space in the parenting app market, which we categorize as a 'Swamp.' This means there are already numerous solutions available, but none have really captured the hearts (or wallets) of parents. With 14 similar products already out there, standing out will be tough. The engagement with these existing apps is low, averaging only 3 comments per launch, so it means it's going to be hard to break through the noise. The good news is that these products tend to get positive feedback and the willingness to pay is pretty high -- only 5% of the products in our database have that level of positive signal. But you'll need to bring something truly unique to the table to avoid becoming just another face in the crowd. Don't let this discourage you though, as the metrics also show that it might be just the right time to create a solution people will pay for.

Recommendations

  1. Before diving in, spend significant time researching why existing parenting apps haven't fully succeeded. Identify their shortcomings and areas where they fail to meet parents' needs. Read the reviews and comments from sources outside of product launch sites. This will inform your strategy and help you differentiate your app.
  2. Instead of targeting all parents, focus on a specific niche or group of parents with unique challenges. For example, parents of children with specific behavioral issues like ADHD. Bonding Health is a similar product that is specifically targeted at parents of kids with ADHD. By focusing on a niche you can tailor your app's features and content to their specific needs, increasing its relevance and value.
  3. Consider creating tools or features that integrate with existing parenting platforms or services. Instead of building a standalone app, provide value-added services that enhance the functionality of established solutions. Partnering with established platforms can provide access to a wider audience and reduce the need for extensive marketing efforts.
  4. Explore related problems that might be more promising. For instance, instead of focusing solely on behavior, consider addressing related issues like sleep patterns, nutrition, or screen time management. By broadening your scope, you can attract a wider audience and offer a more comprehensive solution.
  5. Given that the 'About' page was a point of criticism for 'Five', ensure that your app's description and marketing materials accurately reflect its core functionality and value proposition. Misrepresenting the product's function can lead to user dissatisfaction and negative reviews. Be upfront about what your app does and how it benefits parents.
  6. Address the data protection and privacy concerns raised by users of 'Riley.' Implement robust security measures and transparent data handling policies to ensure the safety and privacy of user data. Communicate these measures clearly to build trust with your users.
  7. Based on the feedback for 'Positive Parenting,' consider implementing a history or memory feature that allows users to review past actions and insights within the app. This can enhance the user experience and provide a convenient way to track progress and reference previous advice.
  8. Learn from Cape's launch and create a visually appealing landing page with screenshots or a video to showcase your app's features and benefits. This will help potential users understand what your app does and why they should download it.

Questions

  1. Given the existing solutions, what unique methodology or framework for understanding child behavior will your app employ that differentiates it from competitors and truly resonates with parents?
  2. Considering the low engagement observed in similar apps, how will you foster a community or create features that encourage ongoing interaction and user feedback within your app to maintain long-term engagement?
  3. With data privacy being a significant concern, how will you ensure that your AI-driven app adheres to ethical guidelines and protects children's data while providing personalized insights?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 14
  • Engagement: Low
    • Average number of comments: 3
  • Net use signal: 10.3%
    • Positive use signal: 12.8%
    • Negative use signal: 2.5%
  • Net buy signal: 7.5%
    • Positive buy signal: 7.5%
    • 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.

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