Add cold-start recommendations for new users
Problem
New users (< 5 interactions) get poor recommendations because collaborative filtering needs interaction history.
Current behavior:
- New user signs up
- No interaction history
- CF model returns random items
- User experience is poor
Proposed Solutions
Option 1: Popularity Baseline
- Show trending items for new users
- Simple and fast
- No personalization
Option 2: Content-Based Filtering
- Use item metadata (category, tags, etc.)
- Show popular items in preferred categories
- Requires item features
Option 3: Onboarding Survey
- Ask user preferences during signup
- Show items matching preferences
- Better UX but adds friction
Recommendation
Start with Option 1 (popularity baseline) then add Option 2 (content-based) as enhancement.