Everything Marketplaces Learnings From Leading Growth At Goldbelly & Now Investing In Marketplaces With Neel Murthy
Jan 21, 2025
Neel Murthy, Partner at Pioneer Fund and former Head of Growth at Goldbelly, shares his journey from marketplace founder to investor. He dives into the challenges of launching Swapbox and how to navigate competition from giants like Amazon. Neel reveals key strategies for scaling marketplaces, emphasizing agility and creative marketing. He discusses fundraising intricacies and the impact of AI on marketplace evolution, highlighting opportunities for innovation in various sectors. His insights on building strong relationships with merchants are invaluable in combating competitive pressures.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Swapbox Pivot
- Neel Murthy's Swapbox, initially designed for Craigslist transactions, pivoted to package delivery.
- This pivot, similar to Amazon Lockers, arose from observing user behavior.
Early Stage Marketplace Advice
- Do things that don't scale in the early stages, especially for marketplaces.
- Try many things and be agile, adapting to user needs and pivoting when necessary.
Make Merchants Marketers
- At Goldbelly, Neel Murthy built a "Make Merchants Marketers" team.
- This team focused on leveraging merchant resources for growth, securing free marketing like billboards.