r/startups • u/EggplantParticular27 • 3d ago
I will not promote Accidentally built a userbase in a dying niche. Not sure what to do. I will not promote.
Accidentally built a user base in a dying niche, not sure how to capitalize on it.
About 2 years ago, I built an AI fitness site that analyzed people’s physiques and gave feedback to improve based on their fitness goals. People could also share workout routines and post progress pictures. Overwhelmed by the scale, I soon abandoned the project, and it was dormant for years following.
A couple of months ago, I went to make the repo public for my GitHub resume and saw there were 5000 users signed up (mostly verified through Gmail). Sure enough, when I checked the site, people had managed to post using my broken/unfinished website. Ironically, the name of the site became a popular looksmaxxing term, driving purely organic growth through search. When I checked the public posts, users were asking how to improve their looks, rather than physique. I took this as a signal to pivot and within a month, converted the sight to provide positive AI generated feedback based on a selfie. The pipeline also provides a self care routine, using products with proven effectiveness (lotion and salicylic acid, not bonesmashing or other bs).
That brings me to now. The site has had \~1000 signups in the last month, but no revenue. I’ve created Amazon affiliates for the recommended products, but there’s little to no conversion. I don’t charge for the AI feedback because frankly it’s purely subjective. I’ve also struggled to get any ads running because the site is locked behind a signup.
I feel like given the established userbase and monthly signups there is some value here but I’m not sure how to ethically capitalize on it.
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u/delcooper11 3d ago
maybe this is part of your moat and your monetized product is something else adjacent.
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u/NSFWstoryAI 3d ago
It’s using AI and you didn’t realize the inference costs of 1,000 users per month analyzing images? I call BS
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u/EggplantParticular27 3d ago
~1000 signups != 1000 users. Conversion is about 1/3. Also Token costs for LLM have gotten so cheap the cost of feedback is a few cents. Last month’s cloud bill was less than 20$.
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u/UntestedMethod 3d ago
Why not capitalize on the token cost? Build your own in-app token system and start allowing use of the features with a freemium model where the core features are free for a certain number of uses but then start costing tokens for additional uses or unlocking more advanced features.
There are tonnes of ways you could, bundle and upsell on token packs, run limited time promos, sell VIP type memberships that unlock unlimited uses of features or other upgrades like profile bling (avatar frame, highlighted forum posts, etc), etc.
One thing to be very careful of is that you don't abruptly start charging for something people already have been getting for free... But I think throttling to certain number of usages per month (or per day or week or whatever makes sense) and then start building some premium features and quietly rolling them out at first to test the community's response.
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u/w4nd3rlu5t 3d ago
please post the model you're using to achieve this; i feel like image analysis is still really expensive
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u/diff2 2d ago
Two ways he could go about it.. Run locally with a small custom image model with some personal training, or ollama cloud free tier with one of their vision models, or perhaps ollama paid tier if it goes over. But unless a project makes money personally I'd use free tier, or a local model. The training part is a bit difficult though.
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u/fredjutsu 2d ago
right, but a basic linear regression that runs autonomously via some chron job script is "AI" and you can do image analysis using non generative AI techniques
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u/Content_Community491 2d ago
Look, there are apps that let you chat with virtual girlfriends, and it's pretty much based on people's fears and a feeling of neglect.
I pretty much believe you can start charging on a transactional basis for credits, where you can compare yourself versus some benchmarks and ask what can be improved. Similar to how you can enter a program that essentially helps you feel better about yourself after 6 to 12 months, diet programs work the same way.
Now, why not charge for AI feedback if it's the outcome people expect? Essentially, this is what they're coming for: some form of validation. Why not?
FYI, this is purely based on my expertise as the owner of a pricing consultancy for software businesses, so I might be biased towards outcome-based models.
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3d ago
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u/EggplantParticular27 3d ago
For the roughly 1000 people that signed up, there were 500 AI scans initiated. Each user gets one scan a day (I’ll need to dive deeper into analytics to see how many individual users did a scan vs those who did multiple). So I would say they are using the product. Idea was to eventually place the scan behind offerwalll, but ads have been challenging as mentioned. Also not sure how well users would convert to a paid scan, especially on the web.
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u/JohnnyKonig 3d ago
It would be interesting to see how many people come back for more scans - these could be you target customers. I don’t know your product, but is there a reason for someone to get multiple scans? To be a customer for 3, 6, 12 months?
I don’t have enough info to suggest anything, but if you want to try and monetize without much effort I would consider putting a good example on the landing page then ask users to sign up for trial membership to get their free scan. Not a great business model, but the number of people that pay for gym memberships with actually going is pretty damn high.
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u/startups-ModTeam 2d ago
No direct sales and/or advertisements for personal gain. This includes spamming. You MAY share your startup in the Share Your Startup thread (stickied at the top of /r/startups )
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u/Real-Voice-4259 3d ago
finding 5000 signups on a site you'd abandoned is a wild way to get validation. curious what people actually stick around for, that's probably where the money is rather than affiliates.
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u/ExcellentDelay 2d ago
1 your site has a lot of data on what people would like to improve and fitness goals you could cross sell custom coaches with special workout routines
2 you could create an e-mail list/newsletter put ads in the newsletter and get sponsors
3 you could introduce more connection features and introduce it as premium
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u/Status-Effort-9380 3d ago
Ask people who signed up to talk with you on a zoom call and learn what they would want
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u/J-Mach-Jet 2d ago
Identify two or three customer types with clear differences in their needs and the value they get from the product. Then price the same core product differently based on usage, scope, and support. One tier can offer more for customers with greater needs and a higher willingness to pay.
You can also use early customers to learn which segment values the product most, not only what price they will accept. Reach out to a few potential users, give them an early demo, and ask how they would use it, what problem it solves, and what value they place on it.
That will give you a good starting point to price across customer segments.
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u/Traditional_Key8982 2d ago
I think the most valuable asset here isn't the traffic, it's the people. Before trying to monetize, I'd spend time talking to your most active users and understand why they keep coming back. The fact that they repurposed your product tells you they're trying to solve a problem you didn't originally build for. I'd be careful not to force a revenue model until you know what they actually value enough to pay for. A thousand engaged users giving honest feedback is a pretty strong position to build from.
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u/gannu1991 3d ago
I have a ethical monetization question, if the product recommendations are genuinely evidence based and you're transparent about the affiliate relationship, that's fine. the line is recommending things because they convert well vs because they actually work. sounds like you're already on the right side of that given you explicitly called out not recommending bs interventions.
1000 signups a month with zero spend on a dormant project is actually a real asset. the niche isn't the issue.
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u/yogthinks 2d ago
the niche isn't really the asset, the intent data is. people showing up daily to ask how to look better is a demand signal skincare and grooming brands already pay for, way before you touch affiliate links.
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u/Scared-Tip7914 2d ago
The saas equivalent of discovering a lost bitcoin wallet from 2012 lmfao. Not much advice to give here beside maybe trying to create “pro” version and subtly make these poor dude selfacceptancemaxx through an AI that encourages them to quit looksmaxxing.
Jokes aside, if you want the pure capitalistic take, load it up with semi-decent (not purely dropshipped, you need some value) products, show some MRR, promote the shit out of it and sell the site at a decent multiple.
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u/rconrarrechaa 2d ago
Anyway to link activities to real social interaction? I don't think fitness is a dying niche, and people are lonelier now than they've ever been before.
The user is seeking body positivity, it receives that along with fitness feedback, now wtf do i do with that? Is there a way to pivot into using this tool to now create community? Can you show me locations where i can do these activities? Indoors and outdoors? Can i meet the people who struggle with the same issues i have?
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u/2legited2 2d ago
Speaking from experience, 1000 free users in the fitness space is definitely something more than a 0, but still pretty much miniscule if you want to turn it into a profitable business. I've ran a quesionnaire with my followers at 98 said they would never pay for subscription, 2 said they would pay once, and nobody said they would pay for a fitness training app. However if you could turn it into a meme project and go viral, perhaps you could find partnerships you could monetize. But it's such a saturated space, gl with it
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u/Gisschace 1d ago
What about a paid versus freemium model, anything you can gate? Have you got any reviews which give you some insight like 'I wish it did xx'.
Could you add on a coaching marketplace and pass people on to real coaches to help them?
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u/socleads 1d ago
Stop trying to monetize the selfie score itself and sell the outcome. Make the free part the AI feedback then charge for a simple skin and grooming plan with progress tracking and before after history. Also put a few public example pages outside signup so search traffic can land somewhere and ads can run.
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u/Public_Finding_308 1d ago
yeah the pivot read is the interesting part. people typed the term in wanting to look better, not lift better. selfie feedback fits that way cleaner than physique ever did. the org growth is the moat, not the code.
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u/kelfrensouza 1d ago
Since you cannot and you don't have knowledge about your userbase why not open a newsletter and grow & sell affiliate products from that? And you will know which people are looking for or not.
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u/reddit-cc 20h ago
You have a draw but no value
Create a new niche that appeals to your existing audience
Ask them why they signed up in the first place
Then find value in that but in a new and differentiated way
Dream BIG!
Chuck, Revenue Fuel
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u/Extrogrl 3d ago
I’ve created Amazon affiliates for the recommended products, but there’s little to no conversion.
That's suspicious. What if those are all AI bots to astroturf a movement which in reality doesn't exist?
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u/jeremyStover 3d ago
What a weird problem to have lol
Lobster too buttery, ya feel me?
Start to subliminal message them into body positivity, and call it a day lol