Online marketplaces are notoriously challenging to get off the ground because of the “chicken or the egg” problem that they face in creating a two-sided marketplace. However, once they gain critical mass, they accrue tremendous network effects that make their growth unstoppable until they have captured a dominant market share.
In this book, successful serial entrepreneur Shirish Nadkarni, takes us through the evolution of first generation marketplaces like eBay, Amazon and Alibaba. He explores how marketplaces have evolved over time and given birth to next generation marketplaces like Airbnb, Uber, OfferUp and others. In Winner takes all, Shirish Nadkarni, teaches entrepreneurs how to start and run multi-sided marketplaces. He uses case studies from various marketplaces to illustrate how to create a critical mass of supply and demand necessary for the marketplace to thrive. Finally, he details the dangers of monopoly power accrued by players like Amazon, Apple and Google and what we need to do stop them from riding roughshod over other market participants.
If you are building a marketplace, read Winner Takes All. Through rich case studies, the book illuminates many different paths to success. It also provides insights about how to handle key challenges that can derail a new marketplace venture: Chicken-and-egg dynamics; disintermediation; which side to charge; and building trust.
Tom Eisenmann
Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
From being a serial entrepreneur to becoming a serial author, Shirish provides a well-researched and a collection of deep insights into the world of marketplaces in his 2nd book that is filled with interesting case studies. This is a must read for anybody who is interested in understanding marketplaces or is thinking about creating a marketplace.
S. Somasegar
Managing Director, Madrona Venture Group
Order the book today!