Should I Build It Should I Build It
19 Apr 2025
Email

An email service provider for European customers, with end to end ...

...encryption and advanced, but optional privacy features. Enhanced with AI, subscription management and an inbox sender screener

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

Based on the existence of three similar products, your idea for an email service provider with end-to-end encryption and advanced privacy features falls into a crowded space. The 'Swamp' category suggests that many have tried and failed to create a truly loved solution. The low engagement (average of 2 comments) across similar products indicates a lack of strong interest or a failure to capture user attention. Given that the category recommendation is 'Don't build it,' it's crucial to carefully evaluate whether your offering is fundamentally different and capable of overcoming the challenges that have plagued its predecessors. Without significant differentiation, you may struggle to gain traction in a market already littered with mediocre solutions. The lack of positive signals around 'use' or 'buy' further reinforces the need for a deep dive into the shortcomings of existing products and a compelling vision for how you will truly innovate.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by conducting thorough research into why existing encrypted email solutions haven't achieved widespread adoption. Understand the specific pain points of users and identify gaps in the market that are not being adequately addressed. This foundational research will inform whether your unique features are truly differentiated and valuable.
  2. Rather than targeting the broad European market, consider identifying a specific niche or underserved group with unique privacy needs. This could be a particular profession, demographic, or organization with heightened security concerns. Tailoring your email service to their specific requirements will increase your chances of gaining initial traction and building a loyal user base.
  3. Before diving into building a full-fledged email service, explore the possibility of creating privacy-enhancing tools or plugins for existing email providers like Gmail or Outlook. This approach allows you to validate your ideas with a smaller investment and leverage the existing user base of established platforms. The similar product analysis indicates security risks are a concern, so focus on this aspect in your tools.
  4. Given the challenges and competition in the encrypted email space, consider exploring adjacent problems that might offer more promising opportunities. For example, you could focus on secure file sharing, encrypted messaging, or privacy-focused productivity tools. These areas may have less competition and greater potential for growth.
  5. If, after thorough research and consideration, you decide to proceed with your email service, prioritize building a minimum viable product (MVP) with a strong focus on core privacy features and user experience. Gather feedback from early adopters and iterate rapidly based on their input. Given that some similar products have been criticized for poor UX, invest heavily in making your service user-friendly.
  6. Develop a comprehensive content strategy that educates potential users about the importance of email privacy and the unique benefits of your service. Create blog posts, articles, and infographics that address common privacy concerns and demonstrate how your features can help protect their data. Highlight specific use cases and testimonials to build trust and credibility.
  7. Explore strategic partnerships with privacy-focused organizations, advocacy groups, or technology providers to expand your reach and credibility. Collaborate on educational initiatives, joint marketing campaigns, or product integrations to reach a wider audience and build brand awareness.

Questions

  1. What specific security certifications or compliance standards will you pursue to demonstrate your commitment to data privacy and security, and how will these differentiate you from existing solutions?
  2. How will you balance the advanced, but optional, privacy features with a user-friendly experience that appeals to a broad audience, and what specific usability testing will you conduct to ensure ease of use?
  3. Given the 'Swamp' category and the need for fundamental differentiation, what is the 'one thing' that your email service will do significantly better than any existing solution, and how will you effectively communicate this value proposition to potential users?

Your are here

Based on the existence of three similar products, your idea for an email service provider with end-to-end encryption and advanced privacy features falls into a crowded space. The 'Swamp' category suggests that many have tried and failed to create a truly loved solution. The low engagement (average of 2 comments) across similar products indicates a lack of strong interest or a failure to capture user attention. Given that the category recommendation is 'Don't build it,' it's crucial to carefully evaluate whether your offering is fundamentally different and capable of overcoming the challenges that have plagued its predecessors. Without significant differentiation, you may struggle to gain traction in a market already littered with mediocre solutions. The lack of positive signals around 'use' or 'buy' further reinforces the need for a deep dive into the shortcomings of existing products and a compelling vision for how you will truly innovate.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by conducting thorough research into why existing encrypted email solutions haven't achieved widespread adoption. Understand the specific pain points of users and identify gaps in the market that are not being adequately addressed. This foundational research will inform whether your unique features are truly differentiated and valuable.
  2. Rather than targeting the broad European market, consider identifying a specific niche or underserved group with unique privacy needs. This could be a particular profession, demographic, or organization with heightened security concerns. Tailoring your email service to their specific requirements will increase your chances of gaining initial traction and building a loyal user base.
  3. Before diving into building a full-fledged email service, explore the possibility of creating privacy-enhancing tools or plugins for existing email providers like Gmail or Outlook. This approach allows you to validate your ideas with a smaller investment and leverage the existing user base of established platforms. The similar product analysis indicates security risks are a concern, so focus on this aspect in your tools.
  4. Given the challenges and competition in the encrypted email space, consider exploring adjacent problems that might offer more promising opportunities. For example, you could focus on secure file sharing, encrypted messaging, or privacy-focused productivity tools. These areas may have less competition and greater potential for growth.
  5. If, after thorough research and consideration, you decide to proceed with your email service, prioritize building a minimum viable product (MVP) with a strong focus on core privacy features and user experience. Gather feedback from early adopters and iterate rapidly based on their input. Given that some similar products have been criticized for poor UX, invest heavily in making your service user-friendly.
  6. Develop a comprehensive content strategy that educates potential users about the importance of email privacy and the unique benefits of your service. Create blog posts, articles, and infographics that address common privacy concerns and demonstrate how your features can help protect their data. Highlight specific use cases and testimonials to build trust and credibility.
  7. Explore strategic partnerships with privacy-focused organizations, advocacy groups, or technology providers to expand your reach and credibility. Collaborate on educational initiatives, joint marketing campaigns, or product integrations to reach a wider audience and build brand awareness.

Questions

  1. What specific security certifications or compliance standards will you pursue to demonstrate your commitment to data privacy and security, and how will these differentiate you from existing solutions?
  2. How will you balance the advanced, but optional, privacy features with a user-friendly experience that appeals to a broad audience, and what specific usability testing will you conduct to ensure ease of use?
  3. Given the 'Swamp' category and the need for fundamental differentiation, what is the 'one thing' that your email service will do significantly better than any existing solution, and how will you effectively communicate this value proposition to potential users?

  • Confidence: Medium
    • Number of similar products: 3
  • Engagement: Low
    • Average number of comments: 2
  • Net use signal: -10.0%
    • Positive use signal: 13.3%
    • Negative use signal: 23.3%
  • Net buy signal: -11.7%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 11.7%

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

Atomic Mail - Encrypted email you can trust

17 Jul 2024 Privacy Email Security

Secure and user-centric email hosting provider, dedicated to offering privacy-first email services. With features such as alias creation, robust security measures, and seamless account recovery, ensures your email experience is both private and hassle-free.

Information is a commodity; Atomic protects personal communication without profiting.

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4
1
100.0%
1
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Relevance

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.

Avatar
12
5
-40.0%
-20.0%
5
12
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