What is Springwise?
Essentially it is a database of business ideas, prototypes, products and startups. A network of about 18,000 of people called “spotters” submit content which is then categorised and then put onto the site.
Basically it is a massive catalogue of ideas. The site mentions there are currently 6121 ideas on the site, so there is definitely a lot of content to sort through. The site also claims 3 new ideas are added each day which puts the site at 1095 new ideas per year (based on 365 days in a year).
What can/would you use Springwise for?
If you’re an entrepreneur looking for a new idea or you are a business doing some competitor research then Springwise is for you. There are a lot of physical product ideas on the site and a few interesting ones that I shared around the office after discovering.
Personally for me as a bit of a serial entrepreneur always looking for new ideas to work on, Springwise is great. There are similar sites like Product Hunt, but Springwise seems to have a wide-variety of fresh business ideas in a multitude of different categories. If you’re looking for the next big thing, Springwise will definitely help with that.
There aren’t a lot of web application based ideas on Springwise, the site definitely features a very heavy presence of hardware/physical/consumable item based ideas. There are definitely some mobile applications on the site, but in a lot of cases they are usually paired with physical hardware products (especially in the health and fitness sectors).
The cost
The cost for me has always been the biggest factor preventing me from trying out Springwise. They don’t offer any kind of free trial, they were happy to provide me with a free month of access for this review, but obviously I am not the rule but rather the exception in this case.
For one months access you are looking at $50 USD per month. As an Australian and the low value of the Australian dollar currently, I would have to pay almost $65 AUD per month to access Springwise as they don’t offer the Australian Dollar as a currency in their dropdown you can select for payment.
The quality of the ideas
Because the site is incredibly dense, the quality definitely depends on the category you are viewing. There are some quirky ideas on the site, some great ideas and of course a few ideas that probably wouldn’t really go beyond a conceptual stage.
Honestly, quality is a highly subjective thing. An idea I might think is pretty great, you you might think is horrible and vice-versa. The site seems to be very-well curated, so it is rare you come across something that doesn’t look like it belongs on the site.
Some idea examples
Because a lot of the ideas require a paid account, if I linked to them, you wouldn’t be able to see them. So what I have done is post a brief little description, the title and a link to the idea’s website below.
These are just some ideas I thought were pretty cool and just plain weird.
3D printed urns designed to look like the dead
A company that produces 3D printed urns that look like the dead persons ashes (with an equally interesting website design).
New Born Fame – Instagram for babies
New Born Fame is a suite of experimental concept plush toys that allow babies to Tweet, post to Facebook and Instagram. Now your baby can take an Instagram selfie and the public can see it (if your settings aren’t set to private). Kind of creepy, but interesting.
Cleverpet a treat dispensing gaming console for dogs
Cleverpet is a Kickstarter product that essentially makes it easier to keep your dog occupied while you are out. Whether or not this thing sees the light of day, it is interesting.
Drumkit pants
Exactly what it sounds like. DrumPants give you pads you can insert into your pants that you can tap on to play the drums. As someone who already taps their pants to drum to songs on the train or bus, I find this idea really appealing and awesome.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- There are a lot of ideas on the site (over 6000), with more being added each day.
- Great for performing competitor research (especially if you’re building a hardware product) or validating an idea you might have.
- Nicely categorised and highly descriptive content
- Easy to use and detailed search feature (by category, publish date and country of origin)
- Easy to use interface for browsing ideas
Cons:
- Cost might be too prohibitive for many. Due to the lack of affordable plan for individuals, it might be out of reach for many.
- Lack of web application ideas and services.
- Very heavy presence of hardware products.
- No free trial to try before you buy.
Conclusion
Springwise is great if you want to validate an idea you might have or you are looking for something new to create.
As a research tool Springwise would undoubtedly be a very handy item to have in your bag of tricks. The search tool allows you to search by; industry, date range, and even country of origin for the idea so you can really drill down specific ideas in specific ways.
Would I pay $50 USD a month for Springwise access? Probably not. If there was a cheaper plan, I definitely would sign up and pay. The price as it currently stands is just a little too much outside of my budget range (after the conversion rate to AUD, it works out to be over half of my monthly car insurance repayment).
If you’re a company that produces products and you have an research and development budget or you are looking for cool new products to buy as a consumer or retailer, you should definitely consider a Springwise subscription. Or perhaps you are just an entrepreneur looking for cool new ideas to bring to your country or put a new twist on.
I have had an absolute blast browsing Springwise the last few days and will continue to do so until my free subscription runs out at the end of the month. I have already found far too many great products I can’t afford, but really want to purchase.
