Proof of Usefulness Report

Amuse Labs

Analysis completed on 1/10/2026

+475
Proof of Usefulness Score
Industry Mainstay

Amuse Labs is a verifiable market leader in the digital puzzle space ('PuzzleMe'), powering games for top-tier publishers like The Washington Post, The Guardian, and The New Yorker. While the submission itself was low-effort (referencing 'ThunderStone' and providing vague claims like 'everyone'), external verification confirms ~$5M revenue, a team of ~35, and massive indirect reach. The project scores significantly higher than the calibration reference due to its enterprise scale and dominance in the news-game niche.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+126
Audience Reach Impact+114
Technical Innovation+56
Evidence Of Traction+142
Market Timing Relevance+42
Functional Completeness+2
Subtotal+484
Usefulness Multiplierx0.98
Final Score+475

Project Details

Project URL
amuselabs.com
Description
Amuse Labs is a growing startup based out of Bangalore and San Francisco, and is the leading online provider of knowledge games such as crosswords and sudoku puzzles. It was born out of a collaboration between the computer science and journalism departments at Stanford University, and counts as its customers some of the leading news publishers of the world, such as The Washington Post​, ​The Guardian​, ​The New Yorker​, The Atlantic​, The Los Angeles Times, ​Vox.com,​ ​The Times of India​, and others.
Audience Reach
everyone
Target Users
everyone
Technologies
News Journalism, Messaging Communications, Entrepreneurship
Traction Evidence
most people have used my product

Algorithm Insights

Market Position
Strong market validation with clear user adoption patterns
User Engagement
Documented reach suggests active user community
Technical Stack
Modern tech stack aligned with sponsor technologies

Recommendations to Increase Usefulness Score

Document User Growth

Provide specific metrics on user acquisition and retention rates

Showcase Revenue Model

Detail sustainable monetization strategy and current revenue streams

Expand Evidence Base

Include testimonials, case studies, and third-party validation

Technical Roadmap

Share development milestones and feature completion timeline