I Found Product-Market Fit 🎉
Some exciting news about the future of Take Rate! The gist? It is only going to get better and better.
There is one thing I know to be true about startups…
“The only thing that matters is getting to product/market fit.” - Marc Andreessen
That quote from Marc Andreessen has stayed with me for over a decade, and it feels very real today.
Two years ago, I started Take Rate. I wrote some great pieces, but it was a series of fits and starts. At the end of 2024, the switch flipped, and I felt a compelling need to start writing about the future of marketplaces in the AI era. I had a firm answer to “Why now?”
So, a little over a month ago, I restarted Take Rate with a new bi-weekly concept called the Marketplace Memo and a monthly live session/podcast called Peer-to-Peer.
It has been a success by all measures! In the last month, my posts were read 23 thousand times, and the newsletter has grown organically to 2.7 thousand subscribers. It is now read in every state in the US and 89 countries!
The response from readers blew me away. So many reached out with encouraging notes and asked how to support the newsletter. Incredibly, 30 of you even used a credit card to pledge support!
Organic growth, users who love the product. This is product-market fit! ✅
So, it’s time! I'm all in and launching paid subscriptions for Take Rate. You all convinced me! I want to help more founders, operators, and investors build amazing marketplaces. And let's be honest—having some skin in the game motivates me to create the best content possible and spend time with subscribers.
But don't worry—everything I write stays free!
For those who subscribe, you are:
Supporting free, in-depth marketplace research and news that helps founders, operators, and investors succeed - your subscription is an investment in shared knowledge that lifts everyone. Published content includes (at a minimum):
Bi-weekly Marketplace Memo
Monthly Peer-to-Peer Episode
Monthly deep-dive
Getting access to Bi-weekly Group Office Hours. Direct access to ask me anything about marketplaces, growth, monetization, fundraising, and more! (all recorded, no FOMO!)
First dibs on cool stuff coming soon (think discounts, events, templates, and more)
For the early subscribers, I am offering a limited-time deal of $10 per month, $100 per year ($8.33 per month), or a special founding member special of $250 per year, which includes a 30-minute private session with me. I will leave this offer open for the next two weeks; the prices will increase then!
I know you have heard enough! So I will get out of your way. 👇
Building marketplaces is challenging but incredibly rewarding. With your support, I can spend more time helping founders, operators, and investors like you succeed. Let's build something amazing together!
Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to me at colin@yonder.vc! And massive thanks to everyone who's supported this wild journey so far. Y'all are the best! 🙌
Notes: Office hours will begin on February 10th. See you there!
About Me:
Colin is a marketplace geek and the General Partner of Yonder, a pre-seed marketplace fund that invests in marketplaces that create new economies. He has also been a long-time advisor to marketplaces, helping them with product growth, monetization, liquidity optimization, and strategy. Previously, he was the CPO/CRO at Outdoorsy and worked at Tripping.com, Ancestry.com, Justanswer, and the Federal Reserve.
Congrats on the growth!
Good!!