Proof of Usefulness Report

OwnTrail

Analysis completed on 1/27/2026

+48
Proof of Usefulness Score
You're In Business

OwnTrail was a legitimate venture-backed career platform that raised ~$1.3M and was acquired by Teal in 2023. However, the project submission contains demonstrably false claims (e.g., Reach: 'everyone', Traction: 'most people have used my product'), which severely penalizes the score under the 'Response Quality' and 'Evidence of Traction' metrics. While the concept had high real-world utility for its niche, the lack of verifiable data in the submission and the project's 'distress sale' exit status limit its current Proof of Usefulness score.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+18.75
Audience Reach Impact+2.00
Technical Innovation+6.75
Evidence Of Traction+10.50
Market Timing Relevance+5.00
Functional Completeness+0.25
Subtotal+43.25
Usefulness Multiplierx1.11
Final Score+48

Project Details

Project URL
Description
OwnTrail is the social platform to own your story and achieve your next milestone in life and work. We provide tools and community for people to live on purpose. \n\nWe're building from our signature features like our Trail Creator and Help Beacons with a freemium model that adds value to our members instead of extracting it. \n\nWe've raised $1.3M to date as venture-backed startup that launched in February 2020.

Algorithm Insights

Market Position
Growing utility with room for optimization
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