founding team at Backpack(yc) here! we solved this by starting with demand.
get real orders first, then solve fulfillment. if we had no traveler that matched the route/timing, one of us would literally take the flight.
not scalable, but early on that’s not really the problem.
one of the thing that matters in this model: traveler supply has a different clock than demand. people usually know their trips weeks ahead, so having them in the funnel helps. but I still wouldn’t wait for perfect supply coverage before testing whether senders are really there.
in the early days, you’re not really a marketplace. you’re just making the service work by hand.
On a separate note, if I wanna file a compliant against a couple other fintechs regarding serious violations, how would I be rewarded? Do you have more clarity? Would appreciate some help!
This article by the Economist talks about the SEC whistleblower program and how to take advantage of it - https://archive.is/vwYXu. They mention that one of the tips was entirely based on open source information. As for reporting, you could leave a tip on the page but they get thousands of those. If you're absolutely certain about your tip, you might consider retaining legal counsel.
get real orders first, then solve fulfillment. if we had no traveler that matched the route/timing, one of us would literally take the flight.
not scalable, but early on that’s not really the problem.
one of the thing that matters in this model: traveler supply has a different clock than demand. people usually know their trips weeks ahead, so having them in the funnel helps. but I still wouldn’t wait for perfect supply coverage before testing whether senders are really there.
in the early days, you’re not really a marketplace. you’re just making the service work by hand.
happy to chat if useful.