Startup Model – The User Recommendation Engine

THE MODEL: A platform where users can search for and read about the best places to go, best things to do and experience to enjoy. Users can share and read reviews and recommendations of local establishments like restaurants, bars, plays etc.

STARTUP: ScoutDat (Indian startup)

WHAT I LIKE

Core Idea – A discovery cum recommendation tool for local restaurants, venues and experiences. With social proofing emerging as an important tool in the buying process, getting recommendations are increasingly becoming important for businesses.

Gamification – Users are incentivized for actions on the app. This is the key challenge any customer review based startup. Users will need to be given the right incentives to be able to interest them to engage with the app.

CONCERNS

Competition – Though there might not be too many players in this space in India at the moment, the startup will need to compete with sector specific portals offering reviews and more to users. For example, a Zomato gives customers an option to discover, book and read about restaurants. This might prove to be very challenging for ScoutDat.