5 ms·

Zaarly Launches Realtime, Local Marketplace To The Public

47 points by boctor 15y ago

AndrewWarner 15y ago
I wonder if they should have launched slower, maybe a few cities at a time. I'm in DC right now and can only find 4 items within a few miles. I think that kind of experience will give people a bad first impression.
- callmeed 15y ago
  Absolutely. I think that was the best feedback I saw when Color launched as well. Anything location-based needs to start in 1 or 2 cities and grow from there–until other cities are begging for it.
alimbada 15y ago
Another US only product. What a tragedy.
- jambo 15y ago
  What an opportunity for you, if you have local market knowledge and can clone & localize the concept. (edit: or for someone like you)
- crikli 15y ago
  US only _for now_. Give them a chance to get the site launched in the US and then grow as demand allows.
zacharyvoase 15y ago
I like the idea, but the centralized platform means it would be hard to buy/sell drugs, sex and contraband, which would make it really interesting :) I'd also like to see a bidding component; for example, head to the Apple store on a big launch day, and bid for an iPad 3/iPhone 5--those at the front of the queue could make a tidy profit, and those with deeper pockets could skip the queue.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
rumblestrut 15y ago
I like the concept, I think it's well designed and the iPhone app seems to be really great. It's got a bit of a chicken and the egg problem at the moment, but I really hope it grows.
- ianl 15y ago
  I know they used launchrock, but I'm really curious how effective it was in locating the proper initial users in solving this problem.
dfischer 15y ago
Go Zaarly!
omouse 15y ago
Cool, it's basically like the WTB (Want To Buy) announcements in online video games.
jgervin 15y ago
How is it different than RedBeacon? What are good things vs. the bad?
callmeed 15y ago
I predict this will not fly–or will require serious pivoting. I don't really get why they're focusing on the demand-side. The "Wanted" section of Craigslist is considerably smaller than most of the other For Sale categories (I personally never check it). I also don't see any real-world/brick-and-mortar example of reverse person-to-person selling like this. What is the incentive for someone to even check Zaarly for a need I might meet? Don't say "make extra cash" because if I need to sell stuff, I dig through it and post it for sale. If I need something, I search Craigslist. If it's not there, I check Ebay. Or I buy it new. I don't post a request and pray someone will get back to me. People are going to request things ... and most requests will go unanswered. Then they'll stop using it. (BTW, totally not trying to sound like a pessimistic jerk)
- invertd 15y ago
  I kinda like it - picture this simple scenario; you need to fix your car's brakes/rotate tires/change oil/fix taillights/buy gas?/ instead of going to 4-5 garages to get an optimal price/quote you broadcast your interest in the local neighborhood in the hopes that the interest will be fulfilled by a "service provider"..
  - callmeed 15y ago
    That sounds like RedBeacon (which I think is a good idea). My take was that Zaarly was person-2-person, not person-2-biz. Maybe I'm wrong.
- snprbob86 15y ago
  I think that the GPS-based aspect of it is what makes it a bit more interesting. I expect that some unemployed folks with a car or bike might be able to make a pretty decent living by becoming a for-hire courier.

47 points by boctor 15y ago

I wonder if they should have launched slower, maybe a few cities at a time. I'm in DC right now and can only find 4 items within a few miles. I think that kind of experience will give people a bad first impression.

callmeed 15y ago
Absolutely. I think that was the best feedback I saw when Color launched as well. Anything location-based needs to start in 1 or 2 cities and grow from there–until other cities are begging for it.

alimbada 15y ago

Another US only product. What a tragedy.

jambo 15y ago
What an opportunity for you, if you have local market knowledge and can clone & localize the concept. (edit: or for someone like you)
crikli 15y ago
US only _for now_. Give them a chance to get the site launched in the US and then grow as demand allows.

zacharyvoase 15y ago

I like the idea, but the centralized platform means it would be hard to buy/sell drugs, sex and contraband, which would make it really interesting :) I'd also like to see a bidding component; for example, head to the Apple store on a big launch day, and bid for an iPad 3/iPhone 5--those at the front of the queue could make a tidy profit, and those with deeper pockets could skip the queue.

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]

rumblestrut 15y ago

I like the concept, I think it's well designed and the iPhone app seems to be really great. It's got a bit of a chicken and the egg problem at the moment, but I really hope it grows.

ianl 15y ago
I know they used launchrock, but I'm really curious how effective it was in locating the proper initial users in solving this problem.

dfischer 15y ago

Go Zaarly!

omouse 15y ago

Cool, it's basically like the WTB (Want To Buy) announcements in online video games.

jgervin 15y ago

How is it different than RedBeacon? What are good things vs. the bad?

callmeed 15y ago

I predict this will not fly–or will require serious pivoting. I don't really get why they're focusing on the demand-side. The "Wanted" section of Craigslist is considerably smaller than most of the other For Sale categories (I personally never check it). I also don't see any real-world/brick-and-mortar example of reverse person-to-person selling like this. What is the incentive for someone to even check Zaarly for a need I might meet? Don't say "make extra cash" because if I need to sell stuff, I dig through it and post it for sale. If I need something, I search Craigslist. If it's not there, I check Ebay. Or I buy it new. I don't post a request and pray someone will get back to me. People are going to request things ... and most requests will go unanswered. Then they'll stop using it. (BTW, totally not trying to sound like a pessimistic jerk)

invertd 15y ago
I kinda like it - picture this simple scenario; you need to fix your car's brakes/rotate tires/change oil/fix taillights/buy gas?/ instead of going to 4-5 garages to get an optimal price/quote you broadcast your interest in the local neighborhood in the hopes that the interest will be fulfilled by a "service provider"..
- callmeed 15y ago
  That sounds like RedBeacon (which I think is a good idea). My take was that Zaarly was person-2-person, not person-2-biz. Maybe I'm wrong.
snprbob86 15y ago
I think that the GPS-based aspect of it is what makes it a bit more interesting. I expect that some unemployed folks with a car or bike might be able to make a pretty decent living by becoming a for-hire courier.