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Design a talent marketplace that doesn't commoditize workers

278 participants 98 submissions 10 companies watching

Problem Context

Fiverr and Upwork drove prices to the bottom. Talented freelancers earn less than they're worth. Design a marketplace that rewards quality over price competition while remaining attractive to buyers.

Average freelancer earnings dropped 15% since 2020 despite demand increasing 30%. Top 5% of freelancers earn 80% of platform revenue. Race-to-bottom pricing creates a lemon market. Toptal's curation model works but is expensive to operate.

Constraints

Must be economically viable as a platform business
Must serve both buyers and sellers fairly
Must scale beyond manual curation
Cannot ignore price-sensitive buyers entirely

Evaluation Criteria

Incentive alignment quality
Scalability of quality signals
Marketplace liquidity approach
Revenue model sustainability

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