The 1000 Cookbooks Project: How User Research Shaped a Startup's Strategy

Before CKBK even existed as a platform, founder Matthew Cockerill faced a fundamental question: In a world drowning in free recipes online, do cookbooks still matter? His answer came through one of the most comprehensive user research projects in food tech - surveying hundreds of chefs and food writers to identify the 1,000 most influential cookbooks ever written.

On a recent episode of the Levels Podcast, Matthew shared how this research project became the foundation for building what's now known as the "Spotify for Cookbooks." His approach offers a masterclass in using user research to validate product-market fit before writing a single line of code.

The Research That Started Everything

Coming from a science publishing background, Matthew understood the importance of systematic research. But instead of surveying potential customers about what they might want, he went straight to the experts - the people who create food content for a living.

"We did something called the Thousand Cookbooks Project where we asked hundreds and hundreds of chefs and food writers to tell us about the top 10 books that influenced them. And they really leapt at the chance."

The response was overwhelming. Professional chefs and food writers didn't just participate - they were genuinely excited to share their insights. This enthusiasm itself became a crucial piece of validation data.

"Whether they were writers or chefs, many of them were obsessive about cookbooks and really pointed to some specific books as having profoundly influenced them and having built their career on what the inspiration they took from a particular book."

This wasn't casual preference gathering. Matthew was uncovering the foundational texts that shaped entire culinary careers. The research revealed that behind every successful chef or food writer were specific cookbooks that had been transformational in their development.

Why Expert Curation Beats Algorithmic Discovery

While platforms like AllRecipes were building massive databases of user-generated content, Matthew's research pointed toward a different strategy. The professionals he surveyed consistently referenced the same high-quality books, suggesting that curation from experts would be more valuable than algorithmic recommendation from amateur cooks.

"So that gave us some confidence that this, you know, cookbooks were valuable across the board. They were capturing the essence of food and gastronomy. And this was something which should be translated into a digital world and should be made available in a way that allowed it to be used more broadly."

The Thousand Cookbooks Project became CKBK's content acquisition roadmap. Instead of trying to digitize every cookbook ever published, they had a clear priority list based on what actual food professionals considered essential.

From Validation to Content Strategy

This research directly shaped CKBK's business approach when negotiating with publishers. Matthew could walk into meetings with concrete evidence that specific books were industry essentials, making the licensing conversation much more targeted.

"Our goal is to have all of those books which were in our top 1000 kind of desert island cookbooks. And then the best of the new publications, if something wins an award, we are always looking to bring those award winning books on board."

The research also solved a common startup problem: feature creep. With a finite list of must-have content, CKBK could focus entirely on acquiring and digitizing these essential books rather than getting distracted by every new cookbook that hit the market.

Building Authority Through Research

The Thousand Cookbooks Project did more than inform product strategy - it established CKBK's credibility within the food industry. Publishers and authors began seeing Matthew not as another tech entrepreneur trying to disrupt their industry, but as someone who genuinely understood and valued culinary expertise.

This credibility proved crucial when approaching conservative publishers who were skeptical of digital platforms. Matthew wasn't asking them to take a leap of faith on an unproven concept; he was presenting research that demonstrated deep industry knowledge.

"When we have books from Le Cordon Bleu, we effectively have a link at the bottom of their content, which is like if you want to get hands-on experience and learn some of these things, and you've enjoyed working with Le Cordon Bleu's books, here's where you can find out about doing courses at Le Cordon Bleu."

Research as a Marketing Tool

The project also generated valuable marketing content. Food media outlets were fascinated by the idea of surveying industry professionals about their essential books. This led to early press coverage that drove thousands of signups to CKBK's waitlist before the platform even launched.

"There's a couple of just US websites, Tasting Table, which kind of covered this idea of Spotify for cookbooks. And we just got thousands and thousands of waitlist signups from that."

The research provided natural story angles for journalists: "The 10 Cookbooks Every Chef Swears By" or "Industry Secrets: What Books Really Influence Professional Cooks." This coverage helped build anticipation and validate demand before Matthew invested heavily in platform development.

Implementing Research Insights

The research influenced every aspect of CKBK's product development. Instead of building generic recipe discovery features, they focused on tools that would showcase the expertise embedded in professional cookbooks.

Features like cross-book recipe linking and author citation tracking emerged directly from understanding how professionals actually use cookbooks for learning and inspiration. When Matthew noted that cookbook authors often reference their influences, CKBK built functionality to surface these connections.

"So good cookbook authors often do sort of make reference to where they've adapted a recipe from or what inspired them. And so we are able to add those links as well."

This created a rich web of culinary knowledge that went far beyond simple recipe lookup - it became a tool for understanding the evolution of cooking techniques and flavor combinations.

The Ongoing Research Advantage

The Thousand Cookbooks Project wasn't a one-time effort. It established a methodology that CKBK continues using to identify new content worth acquiring. When award-winning books are published or when industry professionals start buzzing about a particular author, CKBK has the framework to quickly evaluate whether that content fits their curated approach.

This ongoing curation creates a sustainable competitive advantage. While competitors might copy CKBK's subscription model or user interface, they can't easily replicate years of industry relationship-building and expertise-driven content selection.

Lessons for Content Startups

Matthew's approach demonstrates several principles that any content-focused startup can apply:

Start with the creators, not the consumers. While customer interviews are valuable, talking to content creators first can reveal what really matters in your industry. Professional creators often have stronger opinions and clearer standards than casual consumers.

Use research to build industry credibility. The Thousand Cookbooks Project positioned Matthew as a serious industry participant rather than an outsider trying to disrupt for disruption's sake.

Let research guide your roadmap. Instead of building features based on assumptions, CKBK's entire content strategy emerged from systematic user research.

Research can be marketing. Well-designed research projects generate natural media interest and help build anticipation for your eventual product launch.

Key Takeaways

• Expert validation beats market research: Surveying industry professionals provided clearer product direction than consumer focus groups would have
• Research becomes your content roadmap: The thousand-book list gave CKBK a clear acquisition strategy instead of trying to digitize everything
• Credibility opens doors: Publishers were more willing to work with someone who demonstrated deep industry knowledge
• Research drives PR: Interesting findings naturally attract media coverage and early user interest
• Curation scales better than aggregation: A carefully curated collection of expert-recommended content creates more value than vast databases of amateur contributions

Matthew's systematic approach to understanding his industry before building his product offers a template for any founder entering an established market. Sometimes the best way to disrupt an industry is to first demonstrate that you truly understand what makes it valuable.

Listen to the full conversation with Matthew Cockerill on the Levels Podcast to hear more about his research methodology and content acquisition strategy.