Before Building a Marketplace: Define the First Demand Test

This historical marketplace lesson focuses on preparation before building the full product. Use the recording as a starting discussion, then define the demand test you can actually run.

Turn preparation into a short brief

Write down the customer and their specific problem. Add the supply you can reach and the action you want the customer to take. For a talent marketplace, that action might be requesting a shortlist for a real project. Explain how you will fulfill that request before creating portal features.

Choose a marketplace niche when the audience or service remains too broad. Then set up a demand test with a homepage, enquiry form, and manual follow-up. A working page is the setup. Conversations and paid fulfillment provide the evidence.

Keep notes on declined requests and why people hesitate. Those details can change the offer before you spend time building a marketplace around an untested assumption.

Watch the original historical tour.