MarketplaceStartup
Butlr.net - The Help Network
A two-sided marketplace connecting people who needed help with people nearby who could offer it.

Role
Founder, CEO, product designer
Focus
Marketplace UX, trust, payments, growth
Output
Task posting, profiles, bidding, escrow flows
Context
Local peer-to-peer services
Problem
Butlr had the classic marketplace challenge: no tasks meant no helpers, and no helpers meant no tasks. The product also needed to make strangers feel safe coordinating, transacting, and sometimes meeting in person.
Contribution
- Designed simple task posting, local discovery, bidding, messaging, map views, notifications, profiles, ratings, and verification signals.
- Worked through escrow-based payment logic and transparent fee communication.
- Balanced simplicity with enough detail for many task types, from gardening to household help.
- Led product, business strategy, marketing, community outreach, and development coordination.
Outcome
The product validated a local, approachable marketplace concept and taught hard lessons about trust, retention, monetization, marketing, funding, and the cost of operating a two-sided marketplace.

