Proof of Usefulness Report

Haystack News

Analysis completed on 1/23/2026

+671
Proof of Usefulness Score
Category Standard

Haystack News is a highly successful, verified player in the FAST/AVOD streaming space with estimated revenues of ~$10M and 40M+ registered users. The project has achieved strong product-market fit by aggregating local and global news on Smart TVs (Samsung, Vizio, etc.). While the submission form itself contained lazy data entry (e.g., 'most people have used my product', 'marketcap: null'), the external reality of the business is robust. The score reflects high utility, verified massive reach, and strong timing, penalized slightly for the poor quality of the submission response.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+22.5
Audience Reach Impact+16.0
Technical Innovation+11.25
Evidence Of Traction+17.0
Market Timing Relevance+9.0
Functional Completeness+0.5
Subtotal76.25 (on 100 scale) -> 762.5 (on 1000 scale)
Usefulness Multiplierx0.88
Final Score+671

Project Details

Project URL
haystack.tv
Description
Haystack News is the leading local \u0026 world news service on Connected TVs reaching millions of users and empowering them with a personalized newscast. We are one of the fastest-growing TV News companies in the world, and are already preloaded on 37% of all TVs shipped in the US! Haystack News already has direct relationships with all major TV companies (Samsung, Sony, Vizio, LG, etc) as well as hundreds of premium TV news channels including ABC News, CBSi, Bloomberg, and local TV stations for 90% of the country. \n \nHaystack News is redefining the future of TV news and we pride ourselves on our ability to move faster and execute better than anyone else in our industry. We accomplish this by working with the smartest people and staying on the cutting-edge. We measure ourselves by the impact we are having on individuals’ daily lives and on the television industry as a whole.

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