A marketplace is one of the most attractive business formats — and one of the hardest. Its value lies in the number of participants on both sides, yet at launch there are none on either. That is the classic chicken-and-egg problem. The good news: it is solved by launch strategy, not technology. Here is how we approach it in marketplace development.
In short: start with a narrow niche and one city or segment, recruit the harder-to-find side manually (usually supply), and launch an MVP with a minimal feature set: catalogue, request or order, payment, reviews and moderation.
How to solve chicken-and-egg
- Narrow the market. Not "services for business" but "accountants for clinics in one region". Liquidity comes faster in a niche.
- Start with supply. Sellers and providers are usually harder to find — onboard the first 20–50 manually, sometimes with a free period.
- Give one side value without the other. For example, a tool for sellers (CRM, storefront) that is useful even with no buyers.
- Fill the gaps yourself. At launch the team can handle orders manually until processes are automated.
What goes into a marketplace MVP
| Block | Minimum for launch |
|---|---|
| Catalogue | Listings, categories, search and filters |
| Seller onboarding | Sign-up, profile, verification, uploading offers |
| Transaction | Request or order, statuses, notifications |
| Payment | Payment acceptance and commission calculation through a licensed provider |
| Trust | Reviews, ratings, rules, complaints |
| Admin | Moderation, disputes, reports |
Metrics that matter from day one
- Liquidity: the share of listings that got a transaction and the share of requests that got a response.
- Time to first transaction for a new seller and buyer.
- Repeat transactions and retention on both sides.
- Take rate — the share of turnover the platform keeps.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a marketplace MVP cost?
Our projects start from $2,500; the total depends on the transaction model, payments and roles. We fix the quote after designing the scenarios.
Can I start on an off-the-shelf builder?
Sometimes, to test demand. But with a specific transaction model, complex commissions or integrations, your own platform pays off faster.
How do I attract the first buyers?
Through search ads on specific niche queries and content. Google Ads works well, and Meta Ads for visual products.
Launching a marketplace? Send a request on the marketplaces page and we will design the roles, transaction and commission model and ship the MVP. For paying participants, see our article on split payments.