Welcome to the second ever episode of Marketplace Mechanics! In this episode, I speak with Jean-Michel Chalayer, the CEO of beauty marketplace, LeSalon.
Episode overview.
2:02
Interview Begins
3:16
LeSalon's origin story and the problem being solved
4:50
Is LeSalon the Uber for therapists?
5:32
What did the first few months look like? How did you get started?
6:44
How did you know when you had found the right co-founder? Were there any real signs you were a good match when you met?
8:20
You've found your co-founder - what next? What does a typical day at early-stage LeSalon look like?
10:15
The legendary LeSalon spreadsheet
13:25
What are the criteria for therapists (suppliers) joining LeSalon? What makes a good therapist?
15:31
Do you reject a lot of therapists?
17:02
How do you approach trust? How do you help your customers get comfortable with a stranger entering their home to carry out beauty treatments?
18:11
How do foster a sense of community on your marketplace?
22:55
How is LeSalon better than the competition?
24:35
How did you arrive at the business model? Has it changed since you started? And is it a similar model to competitors, or have you done something unique?
25:55
Do you control the pricing on your platform?
29:20
Do your suppliers try to take customers off the platform? (Disintermediation)
32:37
What's your favourite part of building a two-sided marketplace?
34:30
Biggest piece of advice you'd give to someone thinking about starting their own marketplace?