Benjamin Lauzier

Guest: Benjamin Lauzier - Former VP of Product and Growth at Thumbtack. Benjamin has extensive experience in building and scaling marketplace businesses, having significantly contributed to the growth of both Thumbtack and Lyft. Key Takeaways: Focus on the Hard Side Pre-Product Market Fit: Identify and grow the more challenging side of the marketplace, often the supply side, to establish a reliable growth strategy. Measure Marketplace Liquidity: Track demand utilization and find a predictor metric, like ETAs for Lyft, to manage and improve marketplace health. Avoid Over-Fragmentation: Offering too many options can fragment supply and degrade user experience, as seen with Sidecar's approach. Managed Marketplace Tactics: Use market forces and empowerment, providing tools and coaching to maintain quality without over-controlling supply. Innovative Onboarding Strategies: Lyft's mentorship program effectively scaled driver onboarding, leveraging existing drivers to train and activate new ones. Topics Covered: Marketplace dynamics, product market fit, liquidity metrics, managed marketplaces, growth strategies, European vs. U.S. product culture, healthcare navigation startup.