20 Apr 2025
SaaS

Should I build a food delivery app . I want to undercut doordash fees

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Run Away

Multiple attempts have failed with clear negative feedback. Continuing down this path would likely waste your time and resources when better opportunities exist elsewhere.

Should You Build It?

Don't build it.


Your are here

You're venturing into the crowded food delivery app market, aiming to undercut existing players like DoorDash. This space has seen numerous attempts, as evidenced by the 12 similar products we found. While a high number of matches gives us confidence that we understand your idea, it also signals intense competition. Unfortunately, this falls into a 'Run Away' idea category which means there's a history of negative feedback in this area, which will make it an uphill battle. Prior attempts have been criticized for confusing onboarding, technical issues like slow performance, and questions about business model viability against established giants. Also, there have been astroturfing claims about some products in this category.

Recommendations

  1. First, thoroughly analyze the negative feedback from similar failed food delivery apps, especially concerning onboarding, technical performance, and business model sustainability. Focus on the criticism related to how these apps struggled to compete with established players and the technical shortcomings that led to poor user experience.
  2. Consider whether your existing skills could be applied to a related but different problem within the food or logistics industry. For example, could you focus on a niche market, like catering delivery, or develop a tool that enhances the efficiency of existing delivery services rather than directly competing with them?
  3. If you've already started building the app, explore if the underlying technology can be repurposed for a different application outside of food delivery, such as logistics for other types of goods or services. This could leverage your existing codebase and development efforts into a less competitive market.
  4. Talk to at least three people who have tried using similar food delivery apps, especially those that are not mainstream, and understand their pain points and unmet needs. Focus on understanding what these users feel is missing from current solutions and identify gaps that you could potentially fill with a new approach.
  5. Apply the insights you've gained from analyzing past failures and interviewing potential users to brainstorm a new idea that addresses the shortcomings of existing solutions or ventures into a less saturated area of the market. Consider focusing on a specialized niche within the food industry or exploring alternative business models that offer a sustainable advantage.
  6. Investigate alternative business models, such as partnering directly with restaurants to offer a commission-free platform in exchange for a subscription fee. Address concerns about the gig economy by emphasizing fair wages and benefits for delivery drivers, differentiating your service from competitors.
  7. Focus on a smaller community or niche market where you can provide a more personalized and efficient service, such as delivering specialty items or serving a specific demographic. This can help you build a loyal customer base and establish a strong reputation before expanding further.

Questions

  1. Given the criticisms of previous attempts, how will you ensure a smooth and intuitive onboarding process for both restaurants and customers?
  2. How will you address concerns about profitability and sustainability in a market dominated by well-funded competitors like DoorDash, particularly given the potential for price wars and commission cuts?
  3. What specific technological innovations or operational efficiencies will you implement to provide faster and more reliable deliveries compared to existing services, especially during peak hours?

Your are here

You're venturing into the crowded food delivery app market, aiming to undercut existing players like DoorDash. This space has seen numerous attempts, as evidenced by the 12 similar products we found. While a high number of matches gives us confidence that we understand your idea, it also signals intense competition. Unfortunately, this falls into a 'Run Away' idea category which means there's a history of negative feedback in this area, which will make it an uphill battle. Prior attempts have been criticized for confusing onboarding, technical issues like slow performance, and questions about business model viability against established giants. Also, there have been astroturfing claims about some products in this category.

Recommendations

  1. First, thoroughly analyze the negative feedback from similar failed food delivery apps, especially concerning onboarding, technical performance, and business model sustainability. Focus on the criticism related to how these apps struggled to compete with established players and the technical shortcomings that led to poor user experience.
  2. Consider whether your existing skills could be applied to a related but different problem within the food or logistics industry. For example, could you focus on a niche market, like catering delivery, or develop a tool that enhances the efficiency of existing delivery services rather than directly competing with them?
  3. If you've already started building the app, explore if the underlying technology can be repurposed for a different application outside of food delivery, such as logistics for other types of goods or services. This could leverage your existing codebase and development efforts into a less competitive market.
  4. Talk to at least three people who have tried using similar food delivery apps, especially those that are not mainstream, and understand their pain points and unmet needs. Focus on understanding what these users feel is missing from current solutions and identify gaps that you could potentially fill with a new approach.
  5. Apply the insights you've gained from analyzing past failures and interviewing potential users to brainstorm a new idea that addresses the shortcomings of existing solutions or ventures into a less saturated area of the market. Consider focusing on a specialized niche within the food industry or exploring alternative business models that offer a sustainable advantage.
  6. Investigate alternative business models, such as partnering directly with restaurants to offer a commission-free platform in exchange for a subscription fee. Address concerns about the gig economy by emphasizing fair wages and benefits for delivery drivers, differentiating your service from competitors.
  7. Focus on a smaller community or niche market where you can provide a more personalized and efficient service, such as delivering specialty items or serving a specific demographic. This can help you build a loyal customer base and establish a strong reputation before expanding further.

Questions

  1. Given the criticisms of previous attempts, how will you ensure a smooth and intuitive onboarding process for both restaurants and customers?
  2. How will you address concerns about profitability and sustainability in a market dominated by well-funded competitors like DoorDash, particularly given the potential for price wars and commission cuts?
  3. What specific technological innovations or operational efficiencies will you implement to provide faster and more reliable deliveries compared to existing services, especially during peak hours?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 12
  • Engagement: Medium
    • Average number of comments: 4
  • Net use signal: -4.9%
    • Positive use signal: 9.8%
    • Negative use signal: 14.7%
  • Net buy signal: -12.9%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 12.9%

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.

Similar products

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RestoApp - open-source mobile app & website for food delivery services

Our open-source platform lets you build a food delivery service without developers, using visual programming tools. Plus, we offer grants! Our team will create your website, host it in our cloud — just send us the materials, and we’ll take care of the rest!

RestoApp's Product Hunt launch garnered excitement for its open-source, no-code visual programming platform, simplifying food delivery service creation, especially for non-developers. Users highlighted the appeal of launching delivery services without needing developers. However, several users found the onboarding process confusing. Questions arose regarding system performance under high order volumes and the availability of payment and delivery integrations. Support for the platform and its mission was expressed.

Multiple users found the onboarding process confusing and in need of improvement. Specifically, they requested clearer guidance and additional resources to help new users understand how to use the product effectively. The primary criticism revolves around the lack of clarity during initial setup and usage.


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Check out my food delivery management solution and provide feedback

29 Dec 2023 Delivery

Hey everyone! Over the past few years, I've dedicated my time to crafting a customizable solution for food delivery management. Now, I'm excited to showcase the culmination of all my work. Throughout the development journey, I've successfully incorporated all the planned features and even expanded upon them based on valuable feedback from the community.My methodology has consistently involved seeking input from platforms like Reddit and forums, where I engage with like-minded individuals. Some of the recent enhancements stem directly from this collaborative feedback, and I'm eager to gather more insights on the latest update to the project.Designed with a focus on individuals or businesses looking to start their own food delivery services, this solution simplifies the process of adding vendors, managing food items, coordinating deliveries, and overseeing riders. Beyond these core functionalities, you'll find a bunch of other features, including order tracking, real-time notifications, and more.Since I don’t have a substantial team backing me, I truly appreciate any assistance you can offer. Every form of contribution is valued.Give it a star and share your thoughts in the comments section. Your support means the world to me!

The Show HN product or service received mixed feedback. Users praised the food delivery solution and highlighted the company's dedication to user feedback. There was also support for abbas_NC's efforts and recognition of potential in the technical documentation. However, a significant number of comments were flagged, indicating possible issues or community guideline violations.

Users are turned off by perceived astroturfing, suggesting a lack of authenticity in the product's promotion.


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I've updated my food delivery repo. Feedback Welcome

Hey everyone! Over the past few years, I've dedicated my time to crafting a customizable solution for food delivery management. Now, I'm excited to showcase the culmination of all my work. Throughout the development journey, I've successfully incorporated all the planned features and even expanded upon them based on valuable feedback from the community.My methodology has consistently involved seeking input from platforms like Reddit and forums, where I engage with like-minded individuals. Some of the recent enhancements stem directly from this collaborative feedback, and I'm eager to gather more insights on the latest update to the project.Designed with a focus on individuals or businesses looking to start their own food delivery services, this solution simplifies the process of adding vendors, managing food items, coordinating deliveries, and overseeing riders. Beyond these core functionalities, you'll find a bunch of other features, including order tracking, real-time notifications, and more.Since I don’t have a substantial team backing me, I truly appreciate any assistance you can offer. Every form of contribution is valued.Give it a star and share your thoughts in the comments section. Your support means the world to me!

The Show HN product, likely a delivery service platform, received mixed feedback. Users appreciated the open-source frontend but criticized the proprietary backend and API, questioning the viability of the business model against giants like Uber and Doordash. Technical issues such as broken images, slow website performance, and lack of testing were noted. Some see potential in smaller communities and non-food deliveries, while others doubt the willingness to pay for the codebase. There's interest in pivoting towards POS systems or white-label services, and concerns about the service's availability and adherence to local regulations.

Users criticized the product for broken images, slow website performance, and poor code quality, including a lack of testing. The proprietary nature of the API/backend was a concern, limiting self-hosting and interoperability. The business model and market competition were questioned, with doubts about profitability and benefits to consumers and small businesses. Criticisms also targeted the gig economy's impact on wages, limited availability, especially in rural areas, and the lack of global service. The open-source aspect was unclear, and there were issues with delivery methods and rider availability.


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Try Gustosfera’s Restaurant App FREE! - Advanced Restaurant Apps – Free Trial, No Fees, Full Control

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Gustosfera offers advanced restaurant app solutions tailored for owners, customers, and delivery management. Enjoy a 60-day free trial, no hidden fees, and full ownership. Simplify your operations and boost sales with ease. Launch. Build. Succeed.

Gustosfera launches restaurant app with no commissions and free trial.


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