Case study · Career, setbacks & entrepreneurship
Building a B2B Marketplace from Zero
I raised seed funding and launched a B2B rental marketplace, gaining first-hand insight into the limits of building alone.
The context
In 2025, I saw an opportunity to create an online rental marketplace connecting audiovisual companies across the Netherlands.
The challenge
My goal was to secure funding and take the product from idea to market with minimal resources.
How I approached it
I pitched the concept to investors, learned how they assess early-stage opportunities, and raised a seed investment.
I then handled product development, marketing, and sales myself. To understand both sides of the marketplace, I interviewed many potential customers and audiovisual rental companies, using their input to shape the product and go-to-market approach.
What it delivered
Although I could perform each role effectively, I did not have enough time to do everything simultaneously. Combined with a modest runway, this left too little room to pivot or build traction quickly enough.
The experience made me more inventive and pragmatic, and taught me the value of focused teams with complementary skills. It also sparked my lasting interest in the dynamics of two-sided marketplaces.
Looking back
I learned that being able to cover product, marketing, and sales is not the same as having enough time to do all three well at once. With a modest runway, that constraint left too little space to build traction or pivot. I would bring in complementary skills earlier and focus more sharply on the work that mattered most.
I also gained a practical understanding of how investors assess early-stage opportunities and how important it is to listen to both sides of a marketplace. The principle I carry into future roles is simple: stay close to customers, work pragmatically, and build a focused team that creates room to learn and adapt.