# Marketplace Launch Plan > Plans two-sided marketplace launches with supply/demand seeding, trust-building features, and growth mechanics. Use when launching a platform connecting buyers and sellers. - Skill: `reaperinvest/marketplace-launch-plan` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/marketplace-launch-plan` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/marketplace-launch-plan/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/marketplace-launch-plan --- # Marketplace Launch Plan ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Plan the launch strategy for a two-sided marketplace - Solve the chicken-and-egg problem of supply and demand seeding - Design trust-building features for a new platform - Create growth mechanics that drive organic marketplace expansion **DO NOT** use this skill for single-sided e-commerce stores, SaaS product launches, or existing marketplace optimization. This is for new two-sided marketplace launches. --- ## Core Principle A MARKETPLACE LAUNCH IS A SEQUENCING PROBLEM — YOU CANNOT LAUNCH BOTH SIDES SIMULTANEOUSLY. SEED THE SUPPLY SIDE FIRST, THEN ATTRACT DEMAND WITH PROOF OF QUALITY. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Marketplace concept** | "What are you connecting? Describe the buyer and seller." | No default — must be provided | | **Category** | "What type of marketplace? Services, products, rentals, experiences?" | No default — must be provided | | **Geographic scope** | "Local, national, or global?" | Local (single city) | | **Revenue model** | "How will you make money? Commission, subscription, listing fees?" | Commission on transactions | | **Launch timeline** | "When do you want to launch?" | 3 months out | | **Existing network** | "Do you have access to potential supply or demand already?" | Small personal network | **GATE: Confirm the brief before building the launch plan.** --- ## Phase 2: Supply Seeding Strategy ### Step 1: Define Minimum Viable Supply Determine the minimum number of sellers/providers needed to deliver a good buyer experience: - **Services marketplace:** 15-25 providers in your launch market - **Product marketplace:** 50-100 listings across core categories - **Rental marketplace:** 20-30 listings in your launch geography ### Step 2: Recruitment Tactics | Tactic | Effort | Timeline | |--------|--------|----------| | **Personal outreach** | High | Week 1-4 | | **Existing platform scraping** | Medium | Week 1-2 | | **Community partnerships** | Medium | Week 2-4 | | **Founding seller incentives** | Low | Week 1-ongoing | | **Content marketing** | Medium | Week 4+ | ### Step 3: Founding Seller Program Offer early sellers unique benefits: - Zero commission for first 3-6 months - "Founding Seller" badge and priority placement - Direct access to the founder for feedback and support - Input on platform features and policies - Guaranteed promotional spotlight in launch marketing **GATE: Confirm supply strategy and targets before planning demand.** --- ## Phase 3: Demand Generation and Launch ### Pre-Launch (4-6 weeks before) - Build a landing page with email capture - Share behind-the-scenes content on social media - Partner with 2-3 influencers or community leaders in your niche - Collect testimonials from founding sellers about why they joined ### Launch Week Plan | Day | Activity | Channel | |-----|----------|---------| | Day -3 | Teaser emails to waitlist | Email | | Day -1 | Countdown on social media | Social | | Day 0 | Launch announcement, open platform | All channels | | Day 1-3 | Press outreach, community posts | PR, forums | | Day 3-5 | Share first transactions/reviews | Social proof | | Day 7 | First week recap email | Email | ### Trust-Building Features for Launch - **Verified profiles** — ID or credential verification for sellers - **Review system** — Buyer reviews visible on seller profiles - **Secure payments** — Escrow or payment protection - **Dispute resolution** — Clear process visible before first transaction - **Guarantees** — Money-back or satisfaction guarantee for early transactions ### Growth Mechanics - **Referral program** — Both sides earn credit for inviting others - **Network effects** — More sellers = better selection = more buyers = more sellers - **Category expansion** — Launch tight, expand categories as liquidity proves out - **Geographic expansion** — Master one market before expanding --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### 1. Marketplace Health Metrics ``` ## Launch Metrics to Track - **Supply:** Active sellers, listings per seller, new seller signups per week - **Demand:** Active buyers, searches, purchase intent signals - **Liquidity:** % of listings that result in a transaction - **Match rate:** % of buyer searches that find a relevant listing - **Time to first transaction:** Average days from seller signup to first sale - **Repeat rate:** % of buyers who transact more than once ``` ### 2. Launch Risk Mitigation | Risk | Mitigation | |------|-----------| | Not enough supply | Manually curate and onboard top sellers before launch | | Low demand at launch | Concentrate marketing on one channel and one audience | | Trust issues | Offer buyer protection guarantee for first 30 days | | Poor quality listings | Create listing guidelines and review before publishing | | No transactions | Seed demand with personal network or promotional credits | ### 3. Quality Checklist ``` ## Marketplace Launch Checklist - [ ] Minimum viable supply target defined and met - [ ] Founding seller program launched with clear benefits - [ ] Trust features live: reviews, verification, payments, disputes - [ ] Landing page and waitlist collecting emails - [ ] Launch week calendar planned day by day - [ ] Demand generation channels identified and content prepared - [ ] Growth mechanics designed (referrals, category expansion) - [ ] Marketplace health metrics defined and tracking set up - [ ] Risk mitigation plan documented for top 5 launch risks - [ ] Post-launch weekly review cadence set ``` --- ## Example **Marketplace:** Local freelance design services (connecting small businesses with local designers) **Scope:** One city **Model:** 15% commission **Supply target:** 20 designers with portfolios live before opening to buyers **Founding designer offer:** "Join as a founding designer — 0% commission for your first 6 months, a 'Founding Designer' badge on your profile, and priority placement in search results. We are only accepting 20 designers in [city] to start." --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Launching both sides simultaneously** — seed supply first. A marketplace with no listings is worthless to buyers. - **Going too broad too fast** — "We connect everyone to everything" fails. Start with one category in one market. - **No trust features at launch** — without reviews, verification, or payment protection, users will not transact on an unknown platform. - **Subsidizing both sides indefinitely** — incentives to build supply are necessary, but must have an end date. - **Ignoring liquidity** — 1,000 listings with 0 transactions is worse than 50 listings with 10 transactions. Focus on match rate. --- ## Recovery - **Cannot recruit enough sellers:** Offer to create listings for them (white-glove onboarding). Remove every friction point in the signup process. - **Buyers visit but do not transact:** The supply is not compelling enough or trust is missing. Improve listing quality and add buyer protection. - **Both sides are growing but no transactions:** The matching mechanism is broken. Improve search, recommendations, or manually introduce buyers to sellers. - **Sellers leave after launch incentives end:** The marketplace is not generating enough value. Focus on driving more demand before ending subsidies.