ShipSignal Report

# ShipSignal Report - January 12, 2026

## Today's Top 3 Ideas

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### #1: Voice-to-Text Polish Tool

**Tag:** Productivity

**One-liner:** Clean up voice dictation with punctuation and formatting

**The Signal:**
- r/androidapps: "Voice typing is fast, but I still avoid using it. Anyone else?" (37 upvotes, 30 comments)
- Supporting signal: User describes voice typing as "faster but louder cognitively" due to managing punctuation and structure while speaking

**The Problem:**
Voice typing is technically fast but mentally exhausting because users must juggle speaking, punctuation, clarity, and structure simultaneously. Many avoid it despite its speed advantage because it increases cognitive load rather than reducing it.

**The Solution:**
An app that takes raw voice dictation and automatically adds proper punctuation, fixes common speech-to-text errors, and improves sentence structure. Users speak naturally without worrying about saying "comma" or "period," then the app polishes the output.

**Why It's Simple:**
- Core mechanic: Text input → AI processing → formatted output
- MVP scope: 2 screens (input/output), basic punctuation and formatting
- No real-time processing needed - batch processing works fine

**Competition Check:**
- Existing voice typing: Requires manual punctuation management
- Grammar tools like Grammarly: Don't specifically target voice-to-text cleanup
- The gap: No tool specifically designed to make voice dictation mentally lighter

**Earnings Potential:**
| Metric | Estimate | Reasoning |
|--------|----------|-----------|
| Target Market | 50,000 users | Heavy phone users who avoid voice typing |
| Realistic Reach | 500-2,500 users | 1-5% of market through organic marketing |
| Conversion Rate | 3% | Realistic for productivity tool |
| Paying Customers | 15-75 | At steady state |
| Price Point | $4.99/mo | Similar to writing assistant apps |
| **MRR Potential** | **$75-375** | Mid-range productivity pricing |
| Effort to MVP | 2-3 weeks | Simple text processing with AI API |
| **$/Week Ratio** | **$200** | $225 midpoint MRR / 1.25 week midpoint |

**Scores:**
- Demand: 7/10
- Simplicity: 9/10
- Competition Gap: 8/10
- MVP Clarity: 9/10
- **Overall: 8.0/10**

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### #2: Small Business Supply Cost Tracker

**Tag:** Business

**One-liner:** Find cheapest suppliers for recurring business purchases

**The Signal:**
- r/smallbusiness: "where are you guys actually buying supplies because costco aint it" (55 upvotes, 48 comments)
- User runs cleaning business, frustrated that Costco unit prices aren't competitive despite conventional wisdom

**The Problem:**
Small business owners waste money on supplies because they rely on outdated advice like "just use Costco." Unit price comparison across suppliers is tedious, and pricing changes frequently. Thin margins make overpaying for basic supplies genuinely painful.

**The Solution:**
An app where users input their regular supply needs (trash bags, cleaning supplies, office materials) and get real-time price comparisons across suppliers like Costco, Amazon Business, restaurant supply stores, and local wholesalers. Includes unit price calculations and bulk discount breakdowns.

**Why It's Simple:**
- Core mechanic: Product lookup → price comparison → supplier recommendations
- MVP scope: 3 screens (product search, comparison, supplier info)
- No complex integrations needed - can start with manual price data entry

**Competition Check:**
- General price comparison sites: Too broad, don't focus on business supplies
- Amazon Business: Only shows their prices, not competitive landscape
- The gap: No tool specifically for small business supply purchasing optimization

**Earnings Potential:**
| Metric | Estimate | Reasoning |
|--------|----------|-----------|
| Target Market | 25,000 users | Small business owners focused on supply costs |
| Realistic Reach | 250-1,250 users | 1-5% through small business communities |
| Conversion Rate | 3% | Business owners will pay for cost savings |
| Paying Customers | 8-38 | At steady state |
| Price Point | $19.99/mo | Business tool pricing, ROI justifiable |
| **MRR Potential** | **$160-760** | Higher price point for business value |
| Effort to MVP | 3-4 weeks | Price data collection and comparison logic |
| **$/Week Ratio** | **$263** | $460 midpoint MRR / 1.75 week midpoint |

**Scores:**
- Demand: 8/10
- Simplicity: 7/10
- Competition Gap: 9/10
- MVP Clarity: 8/10
- **Overall: 7.9/10**

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### #3: Study Deep-Dive Timer

**Tag:** Education

**One-liner:** Structured time blocks for thorough topic analysis

**The Signal:**
- r/productivity: "I cannot study without processing every piece of information which takes a lot of time and overall I feel unproductive" (46 upvotes, 18 comments)
- Student describes spending hours breaking down each concept but feeling unproductive compared to classmates who skim material

**The Problem:**
Deep-learning students feel unproductive because they need to thoroughly understand every concept, spending an hour analyzing each new term or phrase. They can't skim like other students but feel guilty about their slower pace, especially during exam prep.

**The Solution:**
An app that helps structure deep-learning sessions with time blocks for different analysis phases: initial reading, concept breakdown, visualization, and integration. Tracks progress to show that thorough understanding is valuable, not wasteful. Includes scheduling tools for exam prep that accounts for their learning style.

**Why It's Simple:**
- Core mechanic: Topic input → structured time blocks → progress tracking
- MVP scope: 3 screens (topic setup, timer interface, progress view)
- No complex algorithms needed - just structured timing and logging

**Competition Check:**
- General study apps: Focus on review and memorization, not deep analysis
- Pomodoro timers: Don't account for different learning styles or analysis phases
- The gap: No tool specifically designed for students who need to deeply process information

**Earnings Potential:**
| Metric | Estimate | Reasoning |
|--------|----------|-----------|
| Target Market | 30,000 users | Students with deep-learning preferences |
| Realistic Reach | 300-1,500 users | 1-5% through student communities |
| Conversion Rate | 3% | Students pay for tools that improve their study effectiveness |
| Paying Customers | 9-45 | At steady state |
| Price Point | $6.99/mo | Student-friendly pricing for specialized tool |
| **MRR Potential** | **$63-315** | Lower price point targeting students |
| Effort to MVP | 2-3 weeks | Timer functionality with structured phases |
| **$/Week Ratio** | **$151** | $189 midpoint MRR / 1.25 week midpoint |

**Scores:**
- Demand: 7/10
- Simplicity: 8/10
- Competition Gap: 8/10
- MVP Clarity: 8/10
- **Overall: 7.6/10**

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## Runner-Ups

**Upwork RSS Alternative:** Strong demand (11 upvotes) for job filtering after RSS feed removal, but would require complex Upwork scraping and constant maintenance against their anti-bot measures.

**Second Brain Simplification Tool:** Multiple signals about Notion complexity and lag issues, but the "simple second brain" space is crowded with existing solutions like Obsidian.

**Recipe from Sales App:** Interesting grocery deal + recipe idea (10 upvotes), but requires complex store API integrations and real-time pricing data that's often restricted.

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## Signal Stats

- Total signals analyzed: 142
- Reddit posts: 45
- Google Trends queries: 0
- Hacker News posts: 16
- Product Hunt products: 37
- Twitter posts: 0
- App Store reviews: 4
- YouTube comments: 15
- Signals that led to viable ideas: 8

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*Generated by ShipSignal*