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Marketplaces: Checklists to meet, KPIs to track, and Network Effects' meaning in Web2 versus Web3

The Marketplace Snippet
Issue #28 • View online
The Marketplace Snippet
Happy Monday!
Hot off the press, our 28th edition of The Marketplace Snippet curated by Paola and Mathias on behalf of the Speedinvest Marketplaces & Consumer team 🚀
The Marketplace Snippet is a monthly newsletter featuring the most interesting content on Marketplaces that caught our eye.
In this edition…
More on how to unlock a platform’s potential for hyper-growth via viral loops and user-generated content. Sorare’s journey into bringing crypto mainstream while building the next entertainment giant, starting with sports. The Peloton saga #tobecontinued.
Some useful guides on how to design your company’s durability from day 1 to be able to capture value creation in the long term. Why investing in Marketplaces and what investors ask themselves when getting to know one, along a list of KPIs Marketplace founders should track.
More on this, including some thought-provoking Twitter 🧵 on how to think about NFX in a new environment in the selection of articles below.
Our teammate, Max, will be in Paris for the next four months. So, if you happen to be in the area, be sure to drop him a line!
If you’ve missed past newsletters or simply can’t get enough, catch up here.
Now, let’s jump in!

Insights: Marketplace Operators
Viral loops: Platforms' superpowers and how to unlock them
Viral loops: Platforms' superpowers and how to unlock them
Sangeet Paul Choudary explores viral loops, how to set them up and what makes them click to unlock user-generated growth for platforms.
platforms.substack.com  •  Share
Peloton’s new CEO sees app store and overhauled subscription model in its future 🔮
Peloton’s new CEO sees app store and overhauled subscription model in its future 🔮
The Peloton saga continues. Barry McCarthy, former CFO of Spotify and Netflix, weighs ways to kickstart Peloton’s stagnant sales, including that it “could be an open platform and part of the creator economy.”
www-theverge-com.cdn.ampproject.org  •  Share
In its quest to challenge Amazon's fulfillment business, Shopify is stumbling where it usually excels: Software!
In its quest to challenge Amazon's fulfillment business, Shopify is stumbling where it usually excels: Software!
As complicated as fulfillment networks can be, insiders say that software is the significant barrier to scaling Shopify’s fulfillment service.
www.businessinsider.com  •  Share
Sorare's journey in building the next entertainment giant, starting with sports ⚽
Sorare's journey in building the next entertainment giant, starting with sports ⚽
Nicolas Julia, Co-Founder & CEO of Sorare, joins Michael Sidgmore at Alt Goes Mainstream podcast to discuss the merging of culture & finance and how Sorare is building the next-gen entertainment brand.
open.spotify.com  •  Share
Insights: Marketplace Investors
The Durability Formula – How it will determine your startup’s future value
The Durability Formula – How it will determine your startup’s future value
James Currier, Partner at NFX, on how value creation mostly accrues in the out-years. “But you can only capture the value if you design for durability from day one.”
www.nfx.com  •  Share
✔ The Marketplace Checklist
✔ The Marketplace Checklist
Many of today’s largest technology companies are marketplaces, but what makes them special? Mike Ghaffary, GP at Canvas Ventures, on why he likes marketplaces and what he asks himself when he gets to know one.
www.canvas.vc  •  Share
Lenny Rachitsky on Twitter: "Marketplace founders: What KPIs do you track most closely?"
Lenny Rachitsky on Twitter: "Marketplace founders: What KPIs do you track most closely?"
An interesting 🧵, for founders of and investors in marketplaces alike.
twitter.com  •  Share
Network Effects | Web2 versus Web3
Network Effects | Web2 versus Web3
A thought-provoking 🧵 on traditional network effects versus token network effects, which are used to bootstrap new networks. What is your take on this?
twitter.com  •  Share
Our General Partner, Mathias Ockenfels, on why Marketplaces are vital for combating the Climate Crisis
Our General Partner, Mathias Ockenfels, on why Marketplaces are vital for combating the Climate Crisis
Part of solving the climate crisis will be making existing sectors less wasteful. But how? Enter network effects and online marketplaces!
www.speedinvest.com  •  Share
News From our Portfolio
🔔 Tier Mobility acquires Spin 🔔
🔔 Tier Mobility acquires Spin 🔔
Very exciting news: TIER becomes the largest multimodal micromobility operator in the world by adding over 100 new cities and communities in the US and Canada.
Welcome SPIN and big congratulations to the team!
www.forbes.com  •  Share
When we say "Two 🐦🐦with one stone" - GoStudent acquires UK’s Seneca Learning and Spain’s Tus Media Group
When we say "Two 🐦🐦with one stone" - GoStudent acquires UK’s Seneca Learning and Spain’s Tus Media Group
European edtech 🦄 GoStudent acquires Seneca Learning and Tus Media Group in a move which extends its reach beyond home.
Congratulations (x2) to the team!
techcrunch.com  •  Share
They did it AGAIN!💥 Congratulations to CoachHub for their acquisition of the coaching division of leading Austrian consulting firm Klaiton
They did it AGAIN!💥 Congratulations to CoachHub for their acquisition of the coaching division of leading Austrian consulting firm Klaiton
Joining forces strengthens CoachHub’s position as a market leader and its mission to democratize personal and professional coaching for all.
Congratulations to the team!
www.startbase.com  •  Share
We welcome Liefergrün to the Speedinvest family! 👏
We welcome Liefergrün to the Speedinvest family! 👏
Extremely proud to [finally] being able to announce our investment in Liefergrün, which offers fast, reliable, sustainable and emission-free last-mile delivery to any merchant or brand!
Find out more about Liefergrün‘s mission from its CEO Niklas Tauch on Startup Insider 🎙 (German only) 
tech.eu  •  Share
Another #ClimateTech investment from yours truly. We welcome Sunhero to the Speedinvest family! 👏
Another #ClimateTech investment from yours truly. We welcome Sunhero to the Speedinvest family! 👏
A solar-powered home is great for the planet but can be complicated and expensive - Sunhero is here to help 😎 With its one-stop marketplace, they help plan, design, legalize and install your solar power system!
tech.eu  •  Share
New $$$
NFTs, e-learning, social commerce, q-commerce and so much more…
NFTs, e-learning, social commerce, q-commerce and so much more…
Momentum in Marketplaces continues in 2022 with 44 deals closed in February, showing continued investor appetite for network effects businesses, including some of our own here at Speedinvest.
airtable.com  •  Share
Careers in Tech
Now hiring!
Now hiring!
Our portfolio companies are always hiring exceptional talent! If you or someone you know would love to work in a fast-paced marketplace startup, check out the open jobs at our startups here.
careers.speedinvest.com  •  Share
Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed this issue.
If you liked the content, why not give it a 👍 and share it with friends? 😉
Any questions, tips, feedback? Bring it on and leave a comment. We look forward to hearing from you! 💬
The Speedinvest Marketplaces & Consumer team backs startups who are shaping the future across B2B and B2C at the intersection of marketplaces, eCommerce 2.0, and consumer subscriptions. You really want our attention? Throw in some network effects - the driver behind the digital platforms that are redefining our everyday lives.
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