Proof of Usefulness Report

Otter.ai

Analysis completed on 1/27/2026

+761
Proof of Usefulness Score
Unicorn Utility

Project identified as Otter.ai (despite incorrect 'StarShade' submission name). Verification confirms status as a market leader with over $100M ARR and 25M+ users as of 2025. While the submission data was poor (vague claims, incorrect tags), the actual entity demonstrates exceptional real-world utility, massive reach, and verified unicorn-level traction. The score reflects the high value of the business, slightly tempered by the low quality of the submission entry.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+237.5
Audience Reach Impact+190.0
Technical Innovation+127.5
Evidence Of Traction+245.0
Market Timing Relevance+85.0
Functional Completeness+10.0
Subtotal+895
Usefulness Multiplierx0.85
Final Score+761

Project Details

Project URL
otter.ai
Description
Otter.ai offers a collaborative note-taking app that make important information from voice conversations including meetings, interviews, and lectures instantly accessible and actionable. The company's award winning product, Otter Voice Notes, is used by business professionals, journalists and students to generate rich notes that can be easily searched and shared. Otter is based on proprietary technologies for speech recognition, speaker separation, speaker ID, and keyword / topic extraction. \n\nThe company was founded by successful repeat entrepreneur Sam Liang and fellow engineering PhD Yun Fu. We are proud to be supported by some of Silicon Valley’s top venture capitalists who were early investors in Tesla, SpaceX, Slack, and Twitter. Additionally, we are backed by legendary angel investor David Cheriton, who provided the initial capital to Larry Page and Sergey Brin to start Google.

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