Proof of Usefulness Report

Cottage

Analysis completed on 1/18/2026

+482
Proof of Usefulness Score
Industry Mainstay

Project is a verified Series A startup (Cottage) with $15M+ funding led by Fifth Wall, addressing a critical housing shortage via ADUs. However, the submission data contains significant low-quality/false claims (e.g., 'most people have used my product', 'audience reach: everyone'), which heavily penalized the Reach and Traction scores despite the company's actual success. The score reflects strong business fundamentals and market timing, discounted by the poor quality of evidence provided in the specific submission.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+213
Audience Reach Impact+20
Technical Innovation+105
Evidence Of Traction+100
Market Timing Relevance+95
Functional Completeness+3
Subtotal+536
Usefulness Multiplierx0.9
Final Score+482

Project Details

Project URL
Description
Cottage is a platform for residential construction, starting with Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). We empower homeowners to design their project online in minutes, and provide our network of build partners modern tools to scale their businesses.\n\nWe're a small but fast-growing team based in San Francisco, founded by ex-Uber, Opendoor and WeWork operators, and backed by Fifth Wall, Susa Ventures and Base10 Partners. Join us in solving one of the biggest problems facing cities today!
Audience Reach
everyone
Target Users
everyone
Technologies
Cloud Computing, Saas, Design
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