Should I Keep Iterating My Web Concept or Build an App to Attract Angel Investors?

Hi everyone,

I’m building a start-up called Foodable, which takes your ingredients and leftovers and, using AI and the creator economy, provides personalised, user-generated, video-first recipes based on them and your preferences.

Currently, I have a web concept that shows TikTok videos based on user-provided ingredients. It has over 2k people using it and some promising engagement. My next big step is to raise funding (starting with Angels) to take Foodable to the next level. However, I’m torn between two potential strategies and would love your advice.

Option 1: Iterate the Web Concept

• Add 1-2 key features (e.g., dietary filters or improved video suggestions).
• Introduce a small paywall (e.g., £0.99/month) to validate whether people are willing to pay for what we’ve built.
• Use this validation to pitch Angels for funding, with the focus of building a more robust app version.

Option 2: Build the App Version

• Bring someone on board to build the app (I have no coding experience).
• Shift away from TikTok videos and instead allow users to upload their own recipes.
• Use funding to iterate and improve the app after launch.

I feel like validation is key to attracting Angels, but I’m not sure if it’s better to focus on proving willingness to pay with the web concept or build a more polished app version right away.

What would you do in this situation?