I worked at a startup that was an alternative to TutorSpree and midway through our attempt at creating traction as a tutoring marketplace I spoke with a VC who

I worked at a startup that was an alternative to TutorSpree and midway through our attempt at creating traction as a tutoring marketplace I spoke with a VC who had previously invested in a online tutoring marketplace. He told me he found the biggest challenge in the space is the sheer number of people who want your services but do not wish to pay/do not have money to pay. In his words "There are a few people that will pay anything to give their children the upper hand and they trick you into believing there is a market for something like this." The other problem is the people who will pay the most for tutoring are not going to use your platform. With Airbnb people find ways to spend money on travel because they want to travel and Airbnb makes it more affordable. Starting a business like this you hope the more affordable access to a tutor, the worse-but-better alternative to high priced tutoring agencies, is your app but you're competing with increased self directed learning and schools that are trying to provide tutoring to their students for free (both my high school and undergrad institution provided this and my HS was public). You're left with people who don't have free options, some of whom can't afford any private tutoring and people who want something nicer than the available free options but don't quite want to spend the money and it ends up being not much of a market.