Online Reviews Are Broken

Paul English, co-founder of Kayak, believes the current online review system is fundamentally broken and needs to be reimagined. His perspective comes from observing the problems with major review platforms and their impact on businesses.

Key Points:

• Current Review System Problems:

  • Amazon has 37,000 pages teaching people how to buy fake reviews
  • Fake review companies are run by PhD computer scientists evading detection
  • They use proxy servers and aged accounts to appear legitimate
  • Companies can easily buy 1,000 five-star reviews

• Issues with Traditional Review Platforms:

  • Reviews often come from people whose opinions aren't relevant to you
  • Example: Sushi restaurant reviews praising low prices miss the point about quality
  • Hotel reviews on TripAdvisor include 5-star reviews for budget motels
  • People don't relate to many of the reviewers giving opinions

• Solution Approach (Deets):

  • Focus on recommendations from:
    • Your actual friends
    • Influencers you choose to follow
  • Use machine learning for "look-alike modeling"
    • Similar to TikTok's content matching
    • Find people with similar tastes without asking questions
  • Goal is to make reviews relevant and trustworthy again

• Restaurant Owner Perspective:

  • Current platforms (like Yelp) operate like a "mafia"
  • Businesses pressured to pay monthly fees to "clean up" their reviews
  • Compared to protection rackets where windows get broken until payment
  • Referenced in documentary "$1,000,000,000 Bully" about Yelp's practices

• Vision for Future:

  • Move away from anonymous mass reviews
  • Focus on trusted networks and verified opinions
  • Use technology to match people with similar tastes
  • Create more reliable recommendation systems