Proof of Usefulness Report

Financial Ombudsman Service

Analysis completed on 1/24/2026

+520
Proof of Usefulness Score
Industry Mainstay

The project represents the UK's Financial Ombudsman Service, a massive government-backed entity with significant real-world utility and national reach. However, the submission itself appears to be unofficial or low-effort (e.g., user 'FrostWing', inaccurate revenue labels, vague traction claims). While the entity's scale warrants a high score (comparable to large-scale organizations in the calibration), the score is dampened by the lack of technical innovation presented and the poor quality of the submission data.

Ready to Compete for $150k+ in Prizes?

Move this data into a HackerNoon blog draft to become eligible for your share of $150k+ in cash and software prizes

View All Reports

Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+180.00
Audience Reach Impact+144.00
Technical Innovation+11.25
Evidence Of Traction+190.00
Market Timing Relevance+50.00
Functional Completeness+2.50
Subtotal+577.75
Usefulness Multiplierx0.9
Final Score+520

Project Details

Description
We’ve been sorting out complaints between financial businesses and their customers since we were set up by Parliament in 2001. Our service is free for consumers, and every year well over 1 million people contact us with queries and complaints about all kinds of financial products and services, for example: o bank accounts, payments and cards o payment protection insurance (PPI) o home, car, travel and other types of insurance o loans and other credit, like car finance o debt collection and repayment problems o mortgages o financial advice, investments and pensions If a financial business and a consumer can’t resolve a complaint themselves, we’ll investigate and give an unbiased answer about what has happened. If we decide someone has been treated unfairly, we’ll use our legal powers to put things right. When we decide a financial business has behaved unfairly, we tell them what they should do to put things right. And when we don’t uphold a complaint, we help give people a better understanding of why a business has acted in the way they have. Our work is often challenging, but it makes a real difference to people’s lives. Working for us means you’ll get the satisfaction of helping others, and helping to make the financial sector fairer. Our staff tell us that they’re proud of the work they do, helping to put things right. What we do here makes a positive difference every day. Find out more about what we do, what it's like to work here and the roles we offer on our career pages, or by visiting our website.

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