❤️ The Youtube / Steezy dichtomy remind me of the unbundling of craigslist into many verticals focusing on higher UX (Airbnb is a famous example spin-off vertical of Craiglist rental/accommodation classified ads), wondering 1/ would be true or oversimplifying it says that many marketplaces with n content can be verticalized through higher UX, thinking of Amazon (🐘 in 🏠). 2/ Also, is it true for super apps (WeChat, Meituan, etc.) in the East? What do you guys think? Z from 🇫🇷
Another similar "unbundling by vertical" that is going on is of Shopify. This is sometimes referred to as "Shopify for X". Pick a large vertical with suppliers that want to sell something to consumers directly and that rely on Shopify or other similar providers (BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Wix etc) to create their websites, handle online sales and provide various other tools. Then develop a more customized suite of tools and services to do what Shopify does but addressing some of the specific pain points for suppliers in that vertical. One can also provide customization by country, so provide what Shopify offers but make it more customized for suppliers in a particular location. Some examples of Shopify for X are listed here https://news.crunchbase.com/news/shopify-for-x-covid-startups-rule-at-virtual-yc-demo-days/ We've seen many other startups pitching as Shopify for X, a trend that we expect to play out for many years to come.
Spot on and totally agree with the Craigslist "unbundling" analogy! I think there is a general principle here. Large horizontal platforms inherently cater to some form of lowest common denominator. Which creates opportunities for vertical specialists to come in as more managed marketplaces or resellers (like Steezy), offering higher quality service in their respective vertical. It's happening to YouTube and will likely also happen to the Chinese super apps.
❤️ The Youtube / Steezy dichtomy remind me of the unbundling of craigslist into many verticals focusing on higher UX (Airbnb is a famous example spin-off vertical of Craiglist rental/accommodation classified ads), wondering 1/ would be true or oversimplifying it says that many marketplaces with n content can be verticalized through higher UX, thinking of Amazon (🐘 in 🏠). 2/ Also, is it true for super apps (WeChat, Meituan, etc.) in the East? What do you guys think? Z from 🇫🇷
Another similar "unbundling by vertical" that is going on is of Shopify. This is sometimes referred to as "Shopify for X". Pick a large vertical with suppliers that want to sell something to consumers directly and that rely on Shopify or other similar providers (BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Wix etc) to create their websites, handle online sales and provide various other tools. Then develop a more customized suite of tools and services to do what Shopify does but addressing some of the specific pain points for suppliers in that vertical. One can also provide customization by country, so provide what Shopify offers but make it more customized for suppliers in a particular location. Some examples of Shopify for X are listed here https://news.crunchbase.com/news/shopify-for-x-covid-startups-rule-at-virtual-yc-demo-days/ We've seen many other startups pitching as Shopify for X, a trend that we expect to play out for many years to come.
Spot on and totally agree with the Craigslist "unbundling" analogy! I think there is a general principle here. Large horizontal platforms inherently cater to some form of lowest common denominator. Which creates opportunities for vertical specialists to come in as more managed marketplaces or resellers (like Steezy), offering higher quality service in their respective vertical. It's happening to YouTube and will likely also happen to the Chinese super apps.