Proof of Usefulness Report

MinIO

Analysis completed on 1/25/2026

+725

Proof of Usefulness Score

Category Standard

MinIO is a widely recognized, high-performance object storage solution with verified unicorn status ($1B+ valuation) and massive adoption in the Kubernetes/AI ecosystem. While the project's real-world utility and market position are exceptional, the submission itself was low-effort (e.g., claiming 'everyone' as the audience and providing vague traction statements). The score reflects the project's immense actual value and technical sophistication, slightly penalized by the poor quality of the submission evidence provided.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+237.5

Audience Reach Impact+144.0

Technical Innovation+135.0

Evidence Of Traction+147.0

Market Timing Relevance+95.0

Functional Completeness+5.0

Subtotal+763.5

Usefulness Multiplierx0.95

Final Score+725

Project Details

Project URL

min.io

Description

MinIO is a high-performance, S3 compatible object store built for [AI storage](https://min.io/solutions/object-storage-for-ai). It is built for large scale AI/ML, data lake and database workloads. It runs on-prem and on any cloud (public or private) and from the data center to the edge. MinIO is software-defined and open source under GNU AGPL v3. \

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