Boris Wertz, the founding partner at Version One Ventures, a VC firm that invests in marketplaces and other startups, joins CJ to discuss the evolution and dynamics of marketplace models. Boris sheds light on his early years as a founder and operator at AbeBooks, and what he learned from selling the platform to Amazon during the dot-com boom. He explains the benefits of focusing on a niche instead of going too broad, how he solved the chicken and egg problem, and what it means to be a long-tail model operator. He and CJ discuss where we are today in the development life cycle of marketplaces and why having the mindshare of the buyer is more important than owning the underlying supply. Hear how the financial profiles of marketplace models differ from typical SaaS models, the importance of understanding where demand and supply match in what Boris refers to as a “hotspot”, and what metric is more important than the take rate and the average selling price. 

If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.

—

SPONSORS:

NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 37,000 thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist. 

Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year.

Leapfin is accounting automation software that automatically prepares and posts reliable journal entries. High-growth businesses like Reddit, Canva, and Seat Geek choose Leapfin to eliminate manual tasks, accelerate month-end close, and enable accounting leaders to provide faster insights to help their companies grow. To automatically standardize your revenue data with measurable business impact, check out leapfin.com today. 

Mercury is the fintech ambitious companies use for banking and all their financial workflows. With a powerful bank account at the center of their operations, companies can make better financial decisions and ensure that every dollar spent aligns with company priorities. That's why over 100K startups choose Mercury to confidently run all their financial operations with the precision, control, and focus they need to operate at their best. Learn more at mercury.com.

Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust®; Members FDIC.

—

FOLLOW US ON X:

@cjgustafson222 (CJ)

@bwertz (Boris)

Version One Ventures’ Guide to Marketplaces https://versionone.vc/marketplaces-guide-ed3/ 

—

TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro

(02:33) Sponsor - NetSuite | Maxio

(06:55) Winning in a Niche and Not Going Too Broad

(09:32) AbeBooks and the Chicken and Egg Problem

(11:22) Data Standardization and Abebooks’ Competitive Moat

(12:37) Buying Your Own Inventory and Doing Things That Don't Scale

(15:01) What It Means to Operate a Long-tail Model 

(17:28) Sponsor - Leapfin | Mercury

(19:27) Having the Mindshare of the Buyer Versus Owning the Supply

(23:35) The Shift From Products to Services in Marketplaces

(29:30) Where We Are Today in the Development Life Cycle of Marketplaces

(31:59) The Main Catalyst Driving the New Wave of Marketplaces

(33:25) Understanding Product Market Fit and Liquidity Ratios

(37:33) Financial Profiles of Marketplace Models Versus Typical SaaS Models

(43:46) The Importance of the Take Rate Metric in Marketplaces

(46:30) Why Frequency of Transactions Trumps Take Rate and Average Selling Price

(49:51) Boris’s Hit Rate in Returns on Early-stage Venture Investing

(50:56) The Most Important Question Boris Asks Pitching Founders

(51:22) Cracking the Chicken and Egg Problem

(53:09) Wrap

Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe