BLISSe
“TikTok for going out”: short videos of bars, restaurants and parties, with recommendations for you or your group. I founded it, researched it, designed it, and stopped it.
Problem
- Too many options, with information scattered across platforms and out of date
- Even after choosing, the place often doesn't match the vibe, music or food
- Distrust of reviews, some of them fake
- FOMO: fear of missing the right place
| Spotted fake reviews | |
|---|---|
| Say fake reviews hurt their trust |
Background data from the research, not my survey. Source: BrightLocal 2022.
What I did
- survey respondents
- 150
- competitors mapped
- 14
- site + Figma prototype
- MVP
- ResearchSurvey, interviews and 14 competitors mapped, including Ontopo, Tabit, Eventbrite, Fever and Yelp
- Spec & designWireframes and full spec, Figma design, a prototype tested with users
- MVPA site built with GenAI tools. Nightlife only: parties, bars, restaurants
- TeamRecruited advisers and interviewed potential technical co-founders
Business model
Under 50K users: a 3–10% transaction fee and a booking system for venues at $39 or $89 a month. Above 50K: business plans at $39, $199 and $399.
Product
| Screen | What the user sees | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Onboarding | Pick music, food, crowd, mood, outing style | Will people state preferences? |
| Video-first Feed | Video of the venue before any text | Does feeling the vibe speed up the decision? |
| Match Score | Venue fit for a person or group | Does a personal score improve relevance? |
| For Me / For Group | Personal vs. group choice | Does it reduce friction between friends? |
| Saved / Shared List | Save options and send them to friends | Does the decision become a plan? |
| Business View | Venue exposure to a relevant crowd, interest metrics | The supply-side value proposition |
| Category | Examples | BLISSe's bet |
|---|---|---|
| Maps & reviews | Google Maps, Tripadvisor | Rank by fit for tonight, not a star count |
| Video & inspiration | Instagram, TikTok | Discovery built for “where do we go” |
| Events & tickets | DICE, Resident Advisor, Fever | A wider decision about place and group |
| Friend group | WhatsApp, Google Search | A shared decision in one product |
The product site and demo: blisse-app.com · app.blisse-app.com. It is a research demo, not a commercial product at verified scale.
Decision
The users' problem was real. But the venues, the paying customers, showed no willingness to pay.
In a two-sided product, the side that feels the pain isn't necessarily the side that pays. That was the core risk, alongside long reserve duty and no technical co-founder. I stopped before investing in full development. That lesson, test the payer and not just the user, is now the first question I ask of any idea.