Step 1 of 5
Choose the cold-start strategy
Which side first, constrained where, with what promise.
Design my marketplace cold-start. I will describe the marketplace below. Decide and justify: which side to seed first (usually supply - confirm for my case); the constraint strategy (narrow niche/category/geography to concentrate liquidity - pick the beachhead); the minimum viable supply number before opening demand; and the early promise to each side that compensates for emptiness (founding creator perks, curated quality for buyers). MY MARKETPLACE: [describe here]
Expected after this step
A justified seed-side choice, beachhead constraint, supply threshold, and side promises.
Should not happen
- ✕Launching to buyers with three listings live
- ✕Recruiting creators with no answer to 'why bother yet'
- ✕Treating the marketplace as launched after a single spike
- ✕No plan for the first 10 transactions actually happening
Verify before continuing
Do not move on until every check is true. The complete button stays locked until then.
Do not continue if…
- !Launching to buyers with three listings live
- !Recruiting creators with no answer to 'why bother yet'
- !Treating the marketplace as launched after a single spike
- !No plan for the first 10 transactions actually happening
If the AI messes this up
Use this when the AI fakes progress or breaks the feature. It forces a real fix.
The plan launches both sides broadly at once. Pick the beachhead niche and the supply-first threshold - concentrated liquidity beats thin coverage.