MarketplaceStartup

Butlr.net - The Help Network

A two-sided marketplace connecting people who needed help with people nearby who could offer it.

Butlr marketplace interface
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.