Proof of Usefulness Report

Pathrise

Analysis completed on 1/27/2026

+282
Proof of Usefulness Score
Gaining Momentum

Pathrise is a legitimate, Y Combinator-backed career accelerator that has historically served thousands of fellows. However, the project submission is of extremely low quality (generic claims like 'everyone' and 'most people', empty fields). Crucially, external verification reveals the company is currently facing significant distress, including reports of foreclosure/asset sale and legal challenges regarding its ISA model as of late 2024/2025. While the real-world utility of career placement is high, the business model failure and predatory lending allegations severely impact the usefulness score. The score reflects a verifiable business that has lost viability, heavily penalized for a lazy submission.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+130
Audience Reach Impact+50
Technical Innovation+60
Evidence Of Traction+50
Market Timing Relevance+40
Functional Completeness+2.5
Subtotal+332.5
Usefulness Multiplierx0.85
Final Score+282

Project Details

Project URL
pathrise.com
Description
Pathrise is a career accelerator that provides personalized mentorship and guidance to help individuals land their dream jobs in the tech industry. Through a combination of one-on-one mentorship, workshops, and resources, Pathrise assists job seekers in improving their job search strategies, enhancing their resumes and portfolios, and preparing for interviews. The company focuses on helping candidates navigate the job market more effectively, offering support in areas such as software engineering, data science, product design, and more. Pathrise operates on a pay-it-forward model, where participants pay a percentage of their salary after they secure a job, aligning the company's success with the success of its fellows.

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