GuideMe

Update on my last post (the doctor-with-a-travel-app one).

12 days ago I shared GuideMe at 257 users. As of right now: 3,900.

That's roughly 15x growth in less than 2 weeks. Still zero ad spend.

Still solo. Still operating on patients during the day.

📊 The numbers (Day 28):

→ 3,900 active users (up from 257)

→ 3,900 new users — essentially 100% organic

→ 28 active right now as I write this

→ 343 clicks on Travelpayouts affiliate links

→ $0 revenue (more on this below)

🤔 What I think is working:

1. The "doctor builds travel app" angle resonates more than I expected.

Multiple users mentioned it in feedback — there's something about

the unusual combination that makes people curious enough to try.

2. Real-time AI search (vs static training data). Travelers ask

"what's open right now in Lisbon?" and get an actual answer, not

a stale cached response.

3. PWA was the right call. Zero app store friction = zero install

barrier. Users land on guideme7.netlify.app and they're using

it within seconds.

🐛 What's not working:

1. Zero affiliate conversions despite 343 clicks on travel partner

links. Theory: users come for inspiration, then book elsewhere

because they don't trust a .netlify.app domain with their credit card.

2. The .netlify.app subdomain is blocking commercial credibility.

This is my priority for next week.

3. Drop-off at the API key entry step is higher than I'd like.

🎯 What I'm trying next:

- Custom domain (this week)

- Onboarding rework — defer the API key request until users have

actually felt the value

- Move affiliate links to post-decision stage instead of during

exploration

💭 Open questions for the IH community:

1. For those who've shipped consumer travel/AI tools — what was

your trick to converting "explorers" into "bookers"?

2. Has anyone tested "BYOK" (bring your own API key) vs "we host it"

models? Curious about retention differences.

3. At what point did you start charging? Torn between a Lifetime Pass

model now vs. growing the base for another 3 months.

Next update at the 60-day mark. Try it: guideme7.netlify.app

I operate on patients for a living. Travel apps are my side problem.

Every time I plan a trip, I end up with 6 tabs open, three apps downloaded, and somehow still unprepared when I land.

So I built GuideMe — a free AI travel companion that does three things:

• Plans your trip with a smart itinerary builder

• Answers your questions via live AI chat (landmarks, culture, tips)

• Narrates your surroundings with an Audio Tour + Wake Lock so your screen stays on while you walk

No paywall. No signup required. Just open and use.

What happened after launch:

I submitted to Product Hunt on April 14th with no audience, no email list, and no marketing budget.

Within 2 weeks:

• 📍 257 active users

• 🌍 7 countries

• ⚡ 1,300+ interactions

• 📈 A spike on launch day that honestly surprised me

The stack:

React + Claude Haiku + Netlify serverless functions. Single deployable PWA. Built entirely as a side project between shifts.

What’s next:

Right now GuideMe is completely free. The roadmap:

1. Affiliate commissions (Booking.com, Viator) — passive, non-intrusive

2. Freemium at ~$2.99–5/month after 500+ active users

3. Deeper AI personalization per destination

My question to the IH community:

For a free travel tool with real engagement — would you go freemium first, or build affiliate revenue before touching pricing?

Would love brutal feedback. 👇

🔗 guideme7.netlify.app