Should I Build It Should I Build It
27 Aug 2025
Marketing

A Directory for B2B small and medium size businesses (SMEs)

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 stepping into a crowded space with your B2B SME directory idea. Our analysis puts this in the 'Swamp' category, meaning there are similar solutions, but none have really taken off. We found 4 similar products, suggesting moderate competition. Engagement is low, with an average of only 2 comments per product. The absence of buy/use signal suggests that the idea hasn't generated a lot of traction in the comments of similar product launches. IndexBug seems to be most successful competitor, but even there, the core design idea was questioned. The odds are stacked against you, so you need a unique angle to succeed in this market.

Recommendations

  1. First, understand why existing B2B SME directories haven't become indispensable. Don't just build another list; identify the core reasons for past failures. Really dig into the criticisms (if any) of the similar products. For instance, IndexBug received some pushback on its design, so that's something to consider for your own idea. Try to identify what those solutions are missing. Talk to potential users.
  2. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Focus on a specific niche of SMEs. Are you targeting a particular industry, location, or business size? The more defined your audience, the easier it will be to provide real value and stand out from the general directories. This also helps with your marketing efforts, as you'll know exactly where to find your target audience.
  3. Instead of directly competing, consider building tools or services that integrate with or enhance existing directories. Think about providing data enrichment, lead generation, or marketing automation specifically tailored for businesses listed on these platforms. This is less risky and could be a valuable service.
  4. Explore adjacent problems that SMEs face, that may not be directory-related. Maybe there's a need for a specialized CRM, project management tool, or marketing platform. This could be a more promising avenue for innovation, and it's possible that if you do that well you might want to integrate a directory in the tool down the line.
  5. Before investing significant time and resources, validate your core assumptions. Conduct surveys, interviews, and beta tests to gather feedback on your concept. Are SMEs actually looking for a directory like yours, or are they solving the problem through other means? Be ruthless in your assessment.

Questions

  1. Given the low engagement with existing directories, what specific, unique value will your directory offer that SMEs can't find elsewhere, and how will you ensure they actively use it?
  2. What are the critical assumptions you're making about the needs of SMEs, and what is the most efficient way to test and validate those assumptions before building the directory?
  3. How will you measure the success of your directory beyond just the number of listed businesses, and what metrics will indicate that you're truly helping SMEs grow and thrive?

Your are here

You're stepping into a crowded space with your B2B SME directory idea. Our analysis puts this in the 'Swamp' category, meaning there are similar solutions, but none have really taken off. We found 4 similar products, suggesting moderate competition. Engagement is low, with an average of only 2 comments per product. The absence of buy/use signal suggests that the idea hasn't generated a lot of traction in the comments of similar product launches. IndexBug seems to be most successful competitor, but even there, the core design idea was questioned. The odds are stacked against you, so you need a unique angle to succeed in this market.

Recommendations

  1. First, understand why existing B2B SME directories haven't become indispensable. Don't just build another list; identify the core reasons for past failures. Really dig into the criticisms (if any) of the similar products. For instance, IndexBug received some pushback on its design, so that's something to consider for your own idea. Try to identify what those solutions are missing. Talk to potential users.
  2. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Focus on a specific niche of SMEs. Are you targeting a particular industry, location, or business size? The more defined your audience, the easier it will be to provide real value and stand out from the general directories. This also helps with your marketing efforts, as you'll know exactly where to find your target audience.
  3. Instead of directly competing, consider building tools or services that integrate with or enhance existing directories. Think about providing data enrichment, lead generation, or marketing automation specifically tailored for businesses listed on these platforms. This is less risky and could be a valuable service.
  4. Explore adjacent problems that SMEs face, that may not be directory-related. Maybe there's a need for a specialized CRM, project management tool, or marketing platform. This could be a more promising avenue for innovation, and it's possible that if you do that well you might want to integrate a directory in the tool down the line.
  5. Before investing significant time and resources, validate your core assumptions. Conduct surveys, interviews, and beta tests to gather feedback on your concept. Are SMEs actually looking for a directory like yours, or are they solving the problem through other means? Be ruthless in your assessment.

Questions

  1. Given the low engagement with existing directories, what specific, unique value will your directory offer that SMEs can't find elsewhere, and how will you ensure they actively use it?
  2. What are the critical assumptions you're making about the needs of SMEs, and what is the most efficient way to test and validate those assumptions before building the directory?
  3. How will you measure the success of your directory beyond just the number of listed businesses, and what metrics will indicate that you're truly helping SMEs grow and thrive?

  • Confidence: Medium
    • Number of similar products: 4
  • Engagement: Low
    • Average number of comments: 2
  • Net use signal: 15.0%
    • Positive use signal: 15.0%
    • Negative use signal: 0.0%
  • Net buy signal: 0.0%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • 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.

Similar products

Relevance

IndexBug - Master Your Market: Clear Directory of Business Resources

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IndexBug.com: A curated directory for entrepreneurs featuring top apps, tools, courses, and blogs. Discover reliable resources with ease, thanks to our clutter-free, user-friendly interface. Join us to streamline your work and stay ahead in your industry.

The Product Hunt launch received positive feedback, with users praising the platform's ability to save time and its comprehensive tools. One user described it as a game-changer for startups and entrepreneurs. There were also general congratulations on the launch and expressions of excitement. One user inquired about the design and the origin of the idea.

The primary criticism revolves around questioning the core design idea, suggesting it might be subpar. This implies potential concerns regarding the product's overall quality and effectiveness in addressing user needs.

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