Subject: Scout feedback from an early power user: missing feedback infrastructure

Hi Yahoo Scout team,

I’ve been using Scout heavily since launch and wanted to share some early feedback from the perspective of a power user who is actively stress-testing the product.

Scout’s core concept is strong. The responses are thoughtful, source-aware, and honest about gaps. The underlying model quality is not the issue. The problem I keep running into is the absence of a real feedback and signal-routing mechanism—and I think this is the highest-priority product gap right now.

Here’s what I’m seeing:

Scout is already capable of identifying where it falls short compared to competitors (UI gaps, personalization, memory behavior, response styles, etc.). As a user, I can point out specific feature needs and explain why they matter. The issue is that there is currently no clear path for that signal to go anywhere actionable.

There’s no obvious way to:
• submit structured feature requests
• indicate preferences (depth vs brevity, technical vs plain, etc.)
• see whether feedback is being tracked
• understand what’s coming next

As a result, useful product insight just… stops at acknowledgment.

Why this matters

Scout is competing in a space where Google, OpenAI, and others already have significant technical advantages. Where Scout can win is feedback velocity and user insight—especially given Yahoo’s long-standing data assets and large logged-in user base.

Right now, that advantage isn’t being realized because the feedback loop isn’t visible or first-class.

Concrete suggestions (prioritized)

Before adding UI polish or new features, I’d strongly recommend focusing on feedback infrastructure:
1. In-app feedback routing
Allow users to submit feature requests or product gaps with context (what they were doing, why it mattered). This should route into a real intake queue, not a black hole.
2. Preference signaling
Lightweight prompts asking users to choose between response styles (concise vs deep, technical vs plain) would immediately improve personalization and give the team actionable data.
3. Public or semi-public roadmap visibility
Even a basic “working on / considering / shipped” view builds trust and shows users they’re contributing to something evolving.
4. Feedback loop closure
When features ship based on user feedback, tell users. That single step dramatically increases loyalty and engagement.

Bottom line

Scout doesn’t have a model problem—it has a signal flow problem.

Early adopters are already offering high-quality product insight. Without a way to capture, route, and act on that insight, Scout risks losing momentum despite having a solid foundation.

I’m sharing this because I want the product to succeed, and I think fixing the feedback loop early will pay off more than almost any single feature addition.

Thanks for building something interesting—and for listening. also, Dark mode come on!

— A Scout early power user