Proof of Usefulness Report

Guideline

Analysis completed on 1/22/2026

+682
Proof of Usefulness Score
Category Standard

Guideline is a verified industry leader in the fintech retirement space with 'unicorn' status and significant market traction (CBInsights Fintech 250). The project demonstrates exceptional real-world utility and technical sophistication in automating compliance. However, the submission itself was low-effort, featuring exaggerated claims regarding audience reach ('everyone', 'most people') which necessitated quality penalties. Despite the poor response quality, the verifiable scale of the business drives a high final score.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+225.0
Audience Reach Impact+80.0
Technical Innovation+127.5
Evidence Of Traction+237.5
Market Timing Relevance+90.0
Functional Completeness+15.0
Subtotal+775
Usefulness Multiplierx0.88
Final Score+682

Project Details

Project URL
guideline.com
Description
Guideline 401(k). Helping people save for a better future.\n\nBy offering a full-stack solution that automates plan administration and compliance, the Guideline team is combatting what’s unfortunately become the retirement industry status quo -- legacy providers have put profit over the interests of employees, abandoning the goal of the program in the first place: to give employees the opportunity to save as much as possible for retirement.\n\nListed on The Fintech 250 '17 - CBInsights \nhttps://www.cbinsights.com/research-fintech250

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