Resources
Marketplace Strategy Articles
Practical thinking on marketplace product, go-to-market, and platform decisions. No generic startup advice. Everything here is marketplace-specific.
How to Build a Marketplace with AI: A Prototype-First Guide
AI tooling made marketplace prototypes cheap. Here is the prototype-first method: what to build, what reliably breaks, and where you still need a developer.
How to Hire a Fractional CPO for Your Marketplace
When a marketplace needs a fractional CPO, what one actually does, engagement models, real pricing, and the interview questions that separate operators from advisors.
How to Build a Two-Sided Marketplace Go-To-Market Strategy
A marketplace GTM is not a SaaS GTM with two audiences. It requires sequencing, constraint, and a clear theory of which side to acquire first. Here is the framework.
Vertical Marketplace Strategy: Why Niche Beats Broad Every Time
The most common mistake early marketplace founders make is launching too broadly. Here is why vertical focus wins, how to pick the right niche, and when to expand.
How to Raise Funding for a Marketplace Startup: What Investors Actually Want
Marketplace fundraising is different from SaaS fundraising. Investors have specific questions most founders are not prepared for. Here is how to get ready.
Marketplace Provider Retention: The Supply-Side Problem Nobody Talks About
Most marketplace teams obsess over buyer retention and ignore supply churn. That is backwards. Here is why provider retention is critical and how to build it in from the start.
Marketplace Take Rate: How to Set It, Raise It, and Defend It
Your take rate is one of the most consequential decisions in your marketplace. Set it wrong and you either leave money on the table or kill supply. Here is how to think about it.
How to Grow Supply in Your Marketplace (Tactics That Actually Work)
Supply is the hardest side of a marketplace to build. Here are the tactics I use with clients to grow a high-quality supply base, from the first 50 providers to sustainable, scalable acquisition.
Marketplace Network Effects: How to Build a Self-Growing Platform
Network effects are what separate a marketplace from a directory. Here is what they actually are, how they work in practice, and how to design your platform to generate them from day one.
Marketplace MVP: What to Build First (And What to Skip)
Most marketplace founders overbuild their MVP. Here is the minimum you actually need to launch, validate, and iterate, without wasting months on features that do not matter yet.
How to Prevent Marketplace Leakage: When Buyers and Sellers Go Around You
Marketplace leakage, when buyers and sellers transact off-platform, is a structural threat to your revenue. Here is how to prevent it without building a wall.
Marketplace Liquidity: What It Is and How to Build It
Liquidity is the most important measure of marketplace health, and the one most founders misunderstand. Here is what it actually means and how to build it deliberately.
Trust Architecture: The Hidden Product Problem Every Marketplace Needs to Solve
Trust is not a feature you add to a marketplace. It is the foundation the entire platform is built on. Here is how to design it deliberately from day one.
How to Price a Two-Sided Marketplace: The Decision Every Founder Gets Wrong
Marketplace pricing is not just about take rate. It determines who joins, who stays, and whether your platform can grow. Here is how to think about it from first principles.
Marketplace Metrics: The KPIs That Actually Matter (And the Ones That Lie to You)
Most marketplace founders track the wrong metrics and make confident decisions from misleading data. Here is the framework a CPO uses to know what is actually working.
The Marketplace Cold Start Problem: How to Solve It Without Burning Your Budget
The cold start problem kills more marketplace companies than bad product, bad funding, or bad timing combined. Here is how to solve it.
Sharetribe vs Alternatives: How to Choose the Right Platform for Your Marketplace
Sharetribe is the go-to for marketplace founders launching fast, but it is not right for every use case. Here is the framework I use with every client.