IdeaSift

People struggle to get navigation that fits their route and needs

Drivers report that map apps can give routes that feel irrational even when their map data is good, while people seeking alternatives are dissatisfied with the options they have tried. Other users need more tailored guidance, such as following a GPX track, clearer turn cues, or turn-by-turn directions for school bus routes. These are related navigation problems, but the signals do not establish that one audience would pay for every feature.

For drivers, school-bus operators, hikers, and cyclists. Mentioned from Apr 2024 to Jul 2026 on Bluesky and Hacker News.

8 different people described this problem in 8 separate discussions.

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1 mention in the last 12 weeks
Indie fit
2.0/10
Pain
5.5/10
Frequency
7.9/10
Willingness to pay
3.5/10
Momentum
4.7/10
Who pays
Consumers
Competition
High
Build difficulty
High

What people said

Quoted word for word. Follow a link to read the whole discussion.

  1. The biggest pain is seeing how google maps has gone to total crap for routing. It still has the best data by far but the routes I get out of it are often total nonsense (taking me through some rando residential for no reason, doing the staircase left/right turn for several blocks, etc)
    snapplebobapple on Hacker NewsApr 2025Has a workaroundWants to switch
  2. What do you use for turn-by-turn navigation? I’m trying to get away from Google services but theirs is by far the best in my experience. Apple Maps is just garbage, and Waze feels like a child’s driving lesson
    chard.org on BlueskyMay 2026Wants to switch
Build brief

See what to build and who will buy it

  • 2 product ideas with the smallest useful version and pricing
  • 4 places to find your first customers
  • 6 more quotes from people who have this problem
  • Current workarounds, existing solutions and risks