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Smarter choices with recommendations
Think about it: every platform we visit—whether it’s Netflix suggesting our next binge, Amazon curating our shopping carts, or Instagram nudging us toward a new café—relies on recommendations. We are surrounded by platforms where algorithms and word-of-mouth interact, shaping not just what we consume but how we discover. The recommendation engine market itself tells a compelling story, projected to soar from $3 billion in 2021 to a staggering $54 billion by 2030, with an astounding compound annual growth rate of 37%.
The Backstory
Like many students, he found himself in a bind during placements—he needed a portfolio to showcase his work. He realized on the day of a big placement event that he had forgotten to print his portfolio. Frustrated and upset, he went home thinking, "How could I forget something so important?" While reflecting on the missed opportunity, another thought struck him: "Why doesn’t something exist to solve this problem?". Determined to find a solution, he turned to YouTube, watching tutorials on how to design an app. With just $500 in savings, he took a chance and hired a developer to build the first version of the app’s code. That app became Portafolio. It also revealed something fascinating: people were eager for tools that helped them present their work in unique ways.
The Opportunity
After the success of Unfold, Alfonso found himself at a crossroads with three options:
- Do nothing, travel the world, and enjoy life.
- Explore a completely different path, unrelated to his previous success.
- Build another app, drawing inspiration from everything he had learned about the industry.In the end, he chose a mix of all three.
Through Instagram Stories, Alfonso noticed a recurring theme—people constantly asking for recommendations. Questions like, “I’m heading to Paris—any tips?”, “What are the best books you’ve read this year?”, or “What’s your makeup routine?” were everywhere. While everyone had recommendations to share, there wasn’t a simple way to organize or access them. Some were scattered across WhatsApp chats, others in Notes apps, or even Excel spreadsheets.
This sparked an idea: a platform where people could easily create and share recommendations, whether for places, products, fitness routines, or anything else. That idea became Hypelist - A platform that lets you create lists for everything you love. Think Spotify playlists - but for everything else and music.
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The Product
Hypelist is a social app designed for curating and sharing lists across a variety of categories. Popular categories include Places, Movies/TV Shows, Books, and Music. The platform integrates data from sources like Google Maps and Spotify, making list creation and exploration engaging and easy. Whether you’re building a list of must-visit coffee shops or top 10 sci-fi movies, Hypelist makes it easy to organize and share your recommendations with others.
Our Contribution
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The Audience
Hypelist primarily targets creators and their followers. The app’s initial focus has been on the US market, where iOS has a higher penetration and purchasing power. This makes the app’s iOS user base a key audience for its premium AI features. However, the Android version has also gained traction in markets like Spain and Portugal, where Android dominates.
Hypelist targets a diverse age group, primarily focusing on digitally active individuals who value personalized recommendations and trust social validation. While its core audience may skew younger, such as Millennials and Gen Z, who actively engage with social media and creator content, it also appeals to older audiences interested in curating and sharing trusted recommendations for lifestyle, travel, or hobbies.
The collaborative features and customizable lists make it versatile across various demographics seeking authentic, community-driven advice.
The Impact
Our collaboration with Hypelist has driven significant improvements across multiple metrics:
- User Growth: The Android app’s installs increased from 1,000+ to over 90,000+ installs.
- Daily Active Users (DAU): Android DAU grew from 50 to 3,300, while iOS DAU reached 2,500.
- Ratings Improvement: The Android app’s Play Store rating rose from 2.9 to an impressive 4.9.
- Retention: Retention rates improved significantly, reflecting a better user experience.
- App Stability: Stability rates increased from 72% to 90%.
- Market Recognition: Hypelist was ranked as the 9th most popular social app in Mexico.
This journey has been about transforming ambitious concepts into essential features, keeping Hypelist at the forefront of innovation.