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by mattdeboard 5229 days ago
I immediately cringe at every single instance I see "it's like X for Y!" At this point has this snow clone passed into the irony space? Is everyone using it ironically at this point?
3 comments

In my opinion / experience, it's still a very useful tool if used accurately.

Used well it provides cut-through of your brand / product / message in a way that is harder to build organically. Once you have traction, you can build a more separate identity.

Used inaccurately, and you will likely annoy people who might be your target market. Used ironically, you can definitely have fun.

But what would I know - my business advice is like Pets.com for Trappist Monks.

But these days it's so misused that most people see it and dismiss as a "catchphrase" to lure people. Even if it's accurately used. So, it's better don't take the risk.
This may be more true in tech circles, especially because everyone wants to compare themselves to big hits (Dropbox, Facebook, Google). It's less common in other sectors.

And if you are going to try it, test it first. Use your little catchphrase and then ask your friend what they think that means you do - 'Dropbox for Hackers' doesn't necessarily mean "code sharing that just works" - it could be interpreted as "making your private code accessible by our internal team" or "yay - unexplained conflict errors all over the place".

I cringe too, but the reason it's used is because it works - great way to explain something new based on something you already know in a few words.
aka a "high concept" pitch (though "X for Y" is really just a subcategory of high concept).