Gene Cook has spent his career at the intersection of marketplace strategy, product leadership, and general management — working 0→1 and at significant scale. At eBay, he held product and business leadership roles across Buying, Selling (including the stores platform for SMB and enterprise sellers), and Search, before leading the New Business team — identifying and scaling 0→1 businesses across categories — and ultimately returning to lead the Global Collectibles business, a multi-billion dollar, multi-category P&L with one of the most passionate communities in commerce. He helped architect a turnaround, and his team developed eBay Live, the company's social and live commerce platform. He also led an entrepreneurial, mission-oriented team at Meta (Social Impact) with marketplace dynamics, and has learned firsthand from building his own marketplace startups.

Gene is interested in relevant consulting, advising, and board opportunities. He can also help with the following:‍‍‍

• Marketplace strategy & general management: Business model design, category strategy, turnarounds, operating rhythms, and the judgment calls that come with managing a two-sided platform at scale
• Trust systems & supply/seller development: Designing trust as a structural advantage — seller relationships, authentication, community trust, and navigating disruption
• Live commerce & social commerce: Building commerce platforms that are also genuine relationship platforms — community, content, and what makes enthusiast markets tick
• Applied AI in marketplace contexts: Where AI creates real unlock vs. hype — listing, discovery, personalization, trust, and the data foundations that make it possible
• 0→1 product development: Finding the right wedge, staying curious without spreading thin, and the discipline of focus when everything looks like an opportunity
• Partnerships, M&A & ecosystem strategy: Identifying and structuring the right external relationships to compound marketplace value
• Team building & cross-functional leadership: Scaling teams from ambiguity to growth, recruiting for mission, and building cultures that stay entrepreneurial at scale

Links: Everything Marketplaces profile, LinkedIn