Recording of the Everything Marketplaces Group Chat #168 (8/20) with Colin Gardiner, who’s currently a marketplace advisor & investor. Colin was previously the Chief Product Officer & then Chief Revenue Officer at Outdoorsy, which is a leading marketplace for RV rentals. Colin helped grow Outdoorsy to $3B in revenue and raise over $200M+ in capital while he was there.

0:06 Intro
‍1:18 Colin's background
‍2:26 Colin's experience at Outdoorsy
‍5:13 SaaS-enabled marketplaces
‍7:33 Key learnings from Outdoorsy
‍11:29 Advising & investing in marketplaces
‍16:51 The metrics Colin looks for when investing in marketplaces
‍19:32 The current state of fundraising
‍22:25 Common mistakes founders make when fundraising
‍25:47 Opportunities for marketplaces
‍27:28 Group Q&A on how to come up with a SAFE valuation cap when fundraising
‍30:17 Group Q&A on when to prioritize marketplace experimentation
‍32:32 Group Q&A on how Colin's investment process has evolved
‍36:40 Group Q&A on raising from strategic partners
‍38:52 Parting marketplace advice
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Colin on Twitter/X: https://www.x.com/colingardiner
Colin's newsletter: https://www.gardinercolin.com
Yonder Ventures: https://www.yonder.vc
Mike (Yoroomie) on Twitter/X: https://www.x.com/yoroomie
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You can also find this group chat in audio format as an episode on our Everything Marketplaces podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also connect with marketplace founders & leaders from our group chats in the Everything Marketplaces community.