Proof of Usefulness Report

Thistle

Analysis completed on 1/31/2026

+440
Proof of Usefulness Score
Certified Problem Solver

Thistle is a well-established, Series B funded food-tech company with significant verifiable traction (949 employees, millions of meals served), far exceeding the 'startup' scale of the calibration reference. However, the submission itself was of extremely low quality, providing vague hyperbole ('everyone', 'most people have used my product') rather than concrete data. The score reflects the high real-world utility and proven market fit of the business, penalized significantly for the poor quality of the submission and the lack of claimed innovation beyond standard logistics.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility1.0)
Audience Reach Impact0.8)
Technical Innovation0.6)
Evidence Of Traction1.0)
Market Timing Relevance0.4)
Functional Completeness0.2)
Subtotal+389
Usefulness Multiplierx1.13
Final Score+440

Project Details

Project URL
thistle.co
Description
Founded in 2013, Thistle is an early stage food-tech startup empowering our customers to get and stay healthy. We deliver delicious, organic, healthy, plant-forward meals, cold-pressed juices and snacks to customers in California who want to put their nutrition on auto-pilot.\n\nWe don’t want to be just another food delivery startup or meal-kit company. Our focus is on the health and happiness of our customers, and we are revolutionizing how fresh, nutritious, high-quality food is purchased, manufactured, and delivered at scale. Thistle is headquartered in San Francisco and we are backed by some amazing investors in the Bay Area and beyond.

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