There are plenty of services that let you build lists to track and discover new books, movies, and songs, but often, these lists end up getting siloed. Former Squarespace employee Alfonso Cobo wanted to bring all kinds of lists together, and he’s trying to do that with Hypelist.
Cobo said the ethos behind creating Hypelist was that people online often seek recommendations for everything from skincare routines, books and restaurants to movies.
“People on social media were asking for all kinds of recommendations, but it was hard to keep track of suggestions, and there was no way to share or create different kinds of lists in one place,” Cobo said in an interview. “They used different makeshift solutions like WhatsApp, spreadsheets, or notes apps. I thought there has to be a better way to get recommendations.”
Essentially, Hypelist wants to be a topic-agnostic app that lets you create any kind of list.
The app’s home screen shows you lists across different categories that have been created by other users. You also get to filter through featured lists, lists that were created near you, and follow suggestions and ideas to start your own list. You can also invite your friends to collaborate on a list.
A few weeks ago, the app got a comments feature that lets users engage with lists and provide feedback.
The app is also gaining an AI chatbot, which can answer questions like “What is a good burger restaurant in Brooklyn?” or “What are some of the best movies of 2024?” If you’re viewing one of your own lists, the AI assistant will give out suggestions based on the topic and the items already added to your list. The company said that over time, the bot will analyze your list and what you like to surface better suggestions.
Cobo launched the app in January, and he said it’s seeing “good traction,” with users creating three lists on average.
The company is thinking about launching a subscription plan, dubbed “Hypelist Ultra” that will cost $2.99 per month in the next few months. The plan would unlock unlimited AI assistant calls, private lists and better customization for paying users. Cobo noted the company wants to rely on subscription and brand partnerships for revenue rather than showing ads.
Cobo will have to contend with other startups in the space, like France-based Memorizer and India-based Openvy, which are trying to create social experiences around lists and recommendations. What’s more, Linktree’s CEO Alex Zaccaria said he has thought about building out curation tools on the platform on TechCrunch’s found podcast earlier this year.
