Should I Build It Should I Build It
11 May 2025
Dating

We're checking, please wait...The user expresses a desire for a new ...

...app concept that helps people decide where to eat or drink by using a swiping mechanism similar to Tinder. They want to enhance this experience by allowing groups to coordinate and match on places to go together.

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

The idea of a "Tinder for food" app to help users decide where to eat or drink, especially for groups, has been explored before, as indicated by the 10 similar products we found. This suggests a validated need, but also significant competition. While the high average number of comments (37) indicates engagement in this area, the absence of positive net use and buy signals raises concerns about whether people are willing to actively use or pay for such apps. User criticism of similar apps highlight issues like limited added value, high costs, and missing features. Given this context, entering this market requires a careful consideration of how to differentiate and offer unique value that addresses the shortcomings of existing solutions. Before investing further, it's crucial to understand why previous attempts have received criticism and haven't translated into strong user adoption or willingness to pay.

Recommendations

  1. Thoroughly analyze the negative comments from similar products, such as the ones mentioned in the product criticism sections. Understand the specific pain points users have experienced with existing solutions. For example, users of 'Tinder, but to decide what to eat' mentioned limited added value, high cost, and a lack of essential features.
  2. Identify a niche or specific problem within the food decision-making process that isn't adequately addressed by current apps. Instead of a broad 'Tinder for food' approach, consider focusing on dietary restrictions, specific cuisines, or budget-conscious options. Tailor your app to a narrower audience with a well-defined need.
  3. Consider pivoting from a purely swipe-based interface to incorporate more practical features like recipe integration, restaurant information (menus, pricing), and collaborative planning tools for groups. Address the criticisms of shallowness by providing richer, more informative content that justifies user engagement.
  4. Based on the high cost criticism, prioritize offering a free or freemium version with core features. The subscription model may not be justified for a basic app experience. Explore alternative monetization strategies like partnerships with restaurants, targeted advertising, or premium features that add significant value.
  5. Talk to at least 3-5 people who have used similar apps (or expressed frustration with the food decision-making process) to understand their unmet needs and expectations. Conduct user interviews and gather direct feedback to inform your product development process. Understanding their real needs is better than building something in a vacuum.
  6. If you've already started building the app, evaluate if the underlying technology or design principles can be repurposed for a different problem. Look for adjacent markets or use cases where your existing work can be leveraged more effectively. Sometimes, the best path is not to force an idea but use the building blocks and apply them to something different.

Questions

  1. Given the criticism around the 'Tinder for food' concept being too shallow, what unique features or content will you integrate to provide significant value beyond simple swiping? What is your plan to make the app more than just a simple swiping clone?
  2. Considering that users have rejected subscription models for similar apps, how will you monetize your app while ensuring accessibility and user satisfaction? How can you offer a free tier that is valuable enough to attract and retain users?
  3. How will you address the potential technical challenges, such as slow image loading or collaboration errors reported by users of similar apps? Will you focus on a particular platform (iOS or Android) initially to ensure a smooth and reliable user experience?

Your are here

The idea of a "Tinder for food" app to help users decide where to eat or drink, especially for groups, has been explored before, as indicated by the 10 similar products we found. This suggests a validated need, but also significant competition. While the high average number of comments (37) indicates engagement in this area, the absence of positive net use and buy signals raises concerns about whether people are willing to actively use or pay for such apps. User criticism of similar apps highlight issues like limited added value, high costs, and missing features. Given this context, entering this market requires a careful consideration of how to differentiate and offer unique value that addresses the shortcomings of existing solutions. Before investing further, it's crucial to understand why previous attempts have received criticism and haven't translated into strong user adoption or willingness to pay.

Recommendations

  1. Thoroughly analyze the negative comments from similar products, such as the ones mentioned in the product criticism sections. Understand the specific pain points users have experienced with existing solutions. For example, users of 'Tinder, but to decide what to eat' mentioned limited added value, high cost, and a lack of essential features.
  2. Identify a niche or specific problem within the food decision-making process that isn't adequately addressed by current apps. Instead of a broad 'Tinder for food' approach, consider focusing on dietary restrictions, specific cuisines, or budget-conscious options. Tailor your app to a narrower audience with a well-defined need.
  3. Consider pivoting from a purely swipe-based interface to incorporate more practical features like recipe integration, restaurant information (menus, pricing), and collaborative planning tools for groups. Address the criticisms of shallowness by providing richer, more informative content that justifies user engagement.
  4. Based on the high cost criticism, prioritize offering a free or freemium version with core features. The subscription model may not be justified for a basic app experience. Explore alternative monetization strategies like partnerships with restaurants, targeted advertising, or premium features that add significant value.
  5. Talk to at least 3-5 people who have used similar apps (or expressed frustration with the food decision-making process) to understand their unmet needs and expectations. Conduct user interviews and gather direct feedback to inform your product development process. Understanding their real needs is better than building something in a vacuum.
  6. If you've already started building the app, evaluate if the underlying technology or design principles can be repurposed for a different problem. Look for adjacent markets or use cases where your existing work can be leveraged more effectively. Sometimes, the best path is not to force an idea but use the building blocks and apply them to something different.

Questions

  1. Given the criticism around the 'Tinder for food' concept being too shallow, what unique features or content will you integrate to provide significant value beyond simple swiping? What is your plan to make the app more than just a simple swiping clone?
  2. Considering that users have rejected subscription models for similar apps, how will you monetize your app while ensuring accessibility and user satisfaction? How can you offer a free tier that is valuable enough to attract and retain users?
  3. How will you address the potential technical challenges, such as slow image loading or collaboration errors reported by users of similar apps? Will you focus on a particular platform (iOS or Android) initially to ensure a smooth and reliable user experience?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 10
  • Engagement: High
    • Average number of comments: 37
  • Net use signal: -4.9%
    • Positive use signal: 11.8%
    • Negative use signal: 16.7%
  • Net buy signal: -15.5%
    • Positive buy signal: 1.6%
    • Negative buy signal: 17.0%

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

Tinder, but to decide what to eat

03 Nov 2024 Dating

Hello HN,My girlfriend and I waste too much energy to decide what to eat. Every day, we would text each other, "what do we eat tonight" messages, and go over options and many times spend too much time on deciding. I am an indie dev and created this app to solve my own problem: decide with my girlfriend what to eat for dinner.Initially, I created a simple app, in which we listed all the recipes we ever prepared, and it would propose randomly three of them. We would then choose together one of them. This app[0] turned into a tinder-like app, which would propose every day a set of recipes to my girlfriend and me - we would swipe and go for the first match.If have some time, give it a try and feedback is very appreciated!Cheers, Kiru[0] https://apps.apple.com/us/app/meal-planner-dinner-ideas/id64...

The Show HN product has been criticized for limited added value, high cost, and a lack of features such as complete recipes, sharing options, and restaurant listings. Users find the subscription model unjustified and prefer a one-time purchase. The app is seen as basic, with a shallow experience that doesn't justify the price. There are concerns about the effectiveness of the algorithm, the practicality of the swipe feature, and the app's appeal to different demographics. Additionally, there are technical issues like crashes and a lack of cross-platform availability.

Avatar
266
227
-17.6%
-21.6%
227
266
5.3%
2.2%
Relevance

Hot Local Food – Like Tinder, but for food, & it already likes you back

26 Jan 2023 Tech

Hi HN community,Think Tinder, but for food, and it already likes you back. Say hello to Hot Local Food. Free, hot, and available on iOS 15 and newer.Want something to eat or drink but don’t know where to go? Want to explore the local scene nearby or far away? Just want to look at some good pictures of good food? Hot Local Food is there for you.With a photo-heavy, Tinder-style swipe interface, an extensive library of restaurants powered by Yelp, and slick features built on top, Hot Local Food will help you find exactly what you need.Hot Local Food helps you filter the noise and find the food you’re craving. You can filter the restaurants by category, price, and location, and then swipe through the options until you find exactly what you need. Once you’ve found the one, swipe right for details and for shortcuts to order.Features: - When you’re out, see restaurants nearby and swipe until you find your perfect match - Traveling somewhere? Get to know what’s good by swiping in the area you plan to visit - Filter by category, price, and location - Create custom lists to save places for later - Access quick shortcuts to make reservations, order delivery or pickup, and find directions I built Hot Local Food because I wanted it myself. My wife and I recently moved to Denver, Colorado. Before moving we used the app to check out fun bars and restaurants close to where we would be living and in the surrounding areas, then saved the options that looked the best to a list within the app. It was a fun exercise and we’ve repeated it when getting ready to travel for weddings, vacations, and other trips. We also often use it on an average weekday when we want to go out somewhere.You can use the following links to check it out: - Download the app on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hot-local-food/id1621818779 - Read the blog post: https://www.ryantoken.com/blog/hot-local-food - View the marketing site: https://www.hotlocalfood.app/ - Hot Local Food on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HotLocalFood - My personal Twitter: https://twitter.com/_ryantoken Please give it a try and let me know if you have any feedback - positive or negative.Cheers!

Avatar
1
1
Relevance

Dinners App - Tinder for recipes

28 Jun 2024 iOS Cooking Food & Drink

Dinners App answers the question "What's for dinner?" You & your family vote on recipes. When everyone likes a recipe, it’s a match! Think Tinder, but for your recipes. And more delicious.

The Dinners App launch on Product Hunt received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with users frequently congratulating the team and praising the app's innovative approach to solving the daily 'what's for dinner?' dilemma. The Tinder-like swiping mechanism for recipe selection was highlighted as fun and engaging, making meal planning collaborative and enjoyable for families. Users appreciated the app's potential to reduce dinner planning stress and cater to picky eaters, with some suggesting filters for dietary needs and grocery integration. Some users reported image loading and collaboration errors.

Users criticize the slow image loading (over 10 seconds) and report an error blocking collaboration invites. They request features such as recipes based on available ingredients, more dietary filters, and grocery list integration. A key usability issue is the inability to delete accidentally added food items, hindering user experience.

Avatar
305
58
39.7%
58
305
41.4%
Relevance

Meal Genius - AI Meals & Instructions, catered to your preferences

05 Apr 2024 Artificial Intelligence Cooking Health & Fitness

A dating app for food, MealGenius lets you swipe left to ignore or right to love an infinite supply of meals that are generated based on the preferences which you choose.

The Meal Genius launch on Product Hunt is receiving positive feedback, with users expressing excitement and describing it as an 'amazing product.' Several comments highlight the product's appeal, using terms like 'wow' and 'yummy.' Many comments, however, have been deleted.

Avatar
10
15
15
10
Relevance

Dinder - Find someone to make dinner with tonight

03 Feb 2023 Cooking Dating Health & Fitness

Swipe through meal suggestions for tonight. When someone else picks the same meal, you’ll match and can start shopping/cooking. Chat to share cooking tips & notes. Afterwards, vote to make it again next week.

Dinder's launch is met with positive feedback, users find the name clever and the core idea appealing. Several users express interest in the product and its potential for improving food compatibility. Suggestions include a marketing plan for user acquisition, a dinner party feature, and its utility for large city residents. One user will use Dinder at night and another will suggest it to their sister. A conference call feature is also proposed for a more intimate experience.

Users expressed concerns about the product's marketing strategy, suggesting a need for a more robust plan to attract users. Some also pointed out that interacting with the app while cooking might present practical challenges.

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91
11
18.2%
11
91
18.2%
Relevance

LuvHut - A one-stop shop to meet singles & discover new places

16 May 2023 Social Network Dining Lifestyle

A one-stop shop to meet nearby singles and discover local restaurants, bars, and events based on shared availability & interests. Coming to iOS & Android in May! Join 15,000+ people on our waitlist as we expand throughout the U.S.

Users are excited about LuvHut's launch and its focus on real-life connections and local experiences, drawing comparisons to TikTok's community feed. The platform is praised for potentially revolutionizing dating and social life by addressing real-life dating challenges with AI, offering a refreshing alternative to exhausting traditional dating apps. Users appreciate the seamless booking of dates and congratulate the team on the launch.

Users find typical dating apps exhausting and superficial.

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84
6
50.0%
6
84
50.0%
Relevance

Cielo – I built an app where you can get dinner with strangers(SF only)

19 Apr 2024 Tech

Heya HN! We built an app where you can set preferences for the kinds of people you want to meet and we make dinner reservations for you and 4 other people. doing a soft launch this week and just wanted to show off what we had built ;)How it works: sign up with google or apple answer a few quick questions about yourself. set your preferences(Industry, Interest, Age, etc) Click 'Join' for the day you are free. Show up to dinner and meet your people :)We are SF only for now! App is freeeeeeeeeee(for a short time)

Avatar
2
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Relevance

I made an app for deciding with friends

08 Sep 2024 Android

I made and publisb an mobile app that makes your decisions fun and social. Also it keeps your decisions in mind and you can check them. Also It in play store. App Store : https://apps.apple.com/tr/app/picked-make-decision/id6475396... Play Store : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appoint.co...

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