How to Get Your First 100 Marketplace Sellers

Building the supply side of a marketplace is notoriously difficult. Most founders struggle with the chicken-and-egg problem: buyers won't come without good selection, but sellers won't join without existing buyers. João Neves and his team at Bloop solved this challenge by focusing on three key strategies that helped them reach nearly 100 sellers before launch.

In a recent conversation on the Levels Podcast, João shared exactly how Bloop approached seller acquisition, proving that the right team, tools, and value proposition can overcome the traditional marketplace challenges.

Hire Experience, Not Just Talent

Bloop's first strategic decision was recognizing that seller acquisition requires specialized expertise. Rather than trying to figure it out themselves, they hired people who had already solved this problem.

"Our sales team comes from the biggest marketplace in Portugal. They were part of the founding team of DOTS, which was the first generalistic marketplace in Portugal. That was, I think, three years later acquired by now the biggest marketplace in Portugal, and they stayed there for a couple more years."

This wasn't just about hiring experienced salespeople—it was about hiring people who understood the specific challenges of convincing sellers to join a new, unproven marketplace. The team brought established processes, seller relationship skills, and credibility that would have taken years to develop internally.

Treat Sellers as Customers, Not Suppliers

One of Bloop's key insights was applying the same customer-centric thinking to sellers that most companies reserve for end users. João explained their philosophy:

"We knew that we needed to treat sellers with the same customer obsession as we treat the final user. So need to have a good experience as well when joining the platform. They need to feel supported."

This approach influenced everything from their onboarding process to their integration options. Instead of viewing sellers as just another revenue source, they treated them as partners whose success was essential to the platform's growth.

Remove Integration Friction with Multiple Options

Technical integration is often the biggest barrier preventing sellers from joining new marketplaces. Bloop solved this by offering multiple integration paths to accommodate different types of businesses and technical capabilities.

"So if you have a Shopify store, for example, or a e-commerce store or other commerce engine, you can integrate with Bloop a couple of clicks. So it's really a simple experience and you get all the orders in the same platform you're already operating at."

But they didn't stop with just tech-savvy sellers. João outlined their comprehensive approach:

"Or if you don't have any of that and you are a physical store that is managing things on a spreadsheet, that works as well. You can upload your spreadsheet with your products. Or if you are a very tech savvy company, you can also integrate directly via API."

This flexibility meant they could onboard everyone from small local businesses to sophisticated e-commerce operations without requiring them to change their existing workflows.

Partner with Infrastructure Providers

Rather than building all marketplace infrastructure in-house, Bloop partnered with established platforms to provide seller-facing tools and backend systems.

"And so we partnered with a SaaS platform that's called Marketplacer that provides that back office and a lot of those systems for sellers to be able to seamlessly join our platform."

This partnership allowed them to offer professional-grade seller tools from day one, without the time and resource investment required to build these systems themselves. It also meant sellers got proven, reliable tools rather than experimental first-generation features.

Lead with Clear Value Proposition

Bloop's seller value proposition was designed to be immediately compelling and risk-free. João described their approach:

"We charge the same average commissions as any other marketplace, which depend on the category, but we charge the same as the market average. And it's per sale. So if you don't sell anything, you're not actually losing any money, right?"

But the real differentiator was the unique benefit Bloop could offer:

"With the big advantage that in blue, you get the benefit of the word of mouth. You get the virality. So when there is a purchase of a product, it doesn't end there. That person will be doing, I mean, technically free advertising for you."

This wasn't just about matching competitor commission rates—it was about offering something no other marketplace could provide: built-in viral marketing through user-generated content.

Focus on Category Strategy

While Bloop accepts sellers from all categories, they've been strategic about prioritization based on market research and social media behavior patterns.

"The main categories we are focusing on because we think they align better with Bloop positioning. But we also have strong sellers in home and technology, for example."

Their research revealed that fashion, beauty, books, and children's products work particularly well for social sharing, so they focused initial seller recruitment efforts on these categories while remaining open to others.

Start Recruiting Early

Bloop began seller outreach well before their platform was ready to launch. João mentioned they started "hunting sellers" in February, giving them months to build relationships and refine their processes before going live.

This early start allowed them to:

• Test their onboarding process with real sellers
• Gather feedback on seller tools and requirements
• Build a launch-ready catalog of products
• Establish relationships that could provide case studies and testimonials

The Results: Nearly 100 Sellers Before Launch

By focusing on these strategies, Bloop achieved something many marketplaces struggle with: strong seller adoption before having significant buyer traffic.

"We didn't struggle to get sellers. We have close to 100 sellers already."

This success positioned them well for launch, ensuring they had sufficient product selection to attract and retain early users.

Lessons for Other Marketplace Builders

Bloop's approach offers several key insights for founders building two-sided marketplaces:

Hire expertise rather than hoping to learn: Seller acquisition is a specialized skill that's worth investing in early.

Remove every possible friction point: Offer multiple integration options to accommodate different seller types and technical capabilities.

Partner for infrastructure: Don't build everything yourself—leverage existing tools and platforms where possible.

Design risk-free propositions: Make it easy for sellers to say yes by eliminating upfront costs and risks.

Lead with unique value: Offer something competitors can't match, not just competitive pricing.

Start early and iterate: Begin seller relationships months before launch to refine processes and build inventory.

João's experience demonstrates that with the right strategy, team, and tools, building marketplace supply doesn't have to be the impossible challenge many founders fear. Success comes from treating sellers as partners, removing barriers to participation, and offering genuine value that goes beyond just another sales channel.

Key Points

• Hired experienced marketplace professionals who had previously built seller networks at successful companies

• Treated sellers with the same customer obsession typically reserved for end users

• Offered multiple integration options: Shopify/e-commerce platforms, spreadsheet uploads, and direct API access

• Partnered with Marketplacer to provide professional backend tools without building everything in-house

• Created risk-free value proposition with industry-standard commissions and unique viral marketing benefits

• Focused on categories that align well with social sharing (fashion, beauty, books, children's products)

• Started seller recruitment months before platform launch to build relationships and gather feedback

• Reached nearly 100 sellers before going live with users

Listen to the full conversation with João Neves on the Levels Podcast to learn more about marketplace strategy and seller acquisition techniques.