Build or Skip is a searchable research tool for exploring the outcomes of 14,648 launches from Show HN, Y Combinator, and Product Hunt. It helps founders and builders investigate whether a similar idea has already been tried and whether the project is still active, gone, or acquired. Users can search by idea or browse with filters for launch source, outcome, year, and product category, including AI, developer tools, games, and job boards.

The site presents launch records with descriptions, launch dates, links, and current status, alongside aggregate figures such as the share marked gone and median lifespan. Comparison views break outcomes down by launch platform, year, and product type, with context explaining how the data is checked and why sources are not always directly comparable. Build or Skip also highlights a reported pattern: unfunded side projects disappear at roughly twice the rate of funded startups over the same periods. The service is designed to help people assess the landscape around an idea using real launch histories, while making clear that status checks and classifications have limitations.