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    "result": {"data":{"markdownRemark":{"frontmatter":{"title":"How to build and launch your marketplace with Flex","slug":"how-to-build-and-launch-with-flex","updated":"2022-01-13T00:00:00.000Z","category":"introduction","ingress":"This article describes what it takes to build and launch your marketplace with Sharetribe Flex. There are four main stages in this process, and we'll go through each one in detail.","skills":null},"htmlAst":{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"To build and launch your marketplace with Flex, you need to go through\nthe following stages:"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"ol","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Getting access to Flex"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Designing your marketplace"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Developing your marketplace"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Going live"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"In this article, it is assumed that you've already read\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/introduction/introducing-flex/"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Introducing Flex"}]},{"type":"text","value":", which explains the\nbasic concepts of Flex. If you haven't done that yet, it's a good idea\nto do that now."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"h2","properties":{"id":"1-getting-access-to-flex","style":"position:relative;"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"#1-getting-access-to-flex","ariaLabel":"1 getting access to flex permalink","className":["anchor","before"]},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"svg","properties":{"ariaHidden":"true","focusable":"false","height":"16","version":"1.1","viewBox":"0 0 16 16","width":"16"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"path","properties":{"fillRule":"evenodd","d":"M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"},"children":[]}]}]},{"type":"text","value":"1. Getting access to Flex"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"If you're reading this article, the chances are that you already have\naccess a Flex marketplace. This means that you have an account in\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://flex-console.sharetribe.com","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Flex Console"}]},{"type":"text","value":" (the \"admin section\"\nof your Flex marketplace). If you don't have an account yet, you can\ncreate one in\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://www.sharetribe.com/#start-building-with-flex","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"the Sharetribe website"}]},{"type":"text","value":"."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Once you log in to Console, you'll notice there's nothing there yet: you\nnaturally don't yet have any users, listings, or transactions."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"The first step after logging in to Console is to set up a Flex Template\nfor Web (FTW). FTW is a fully functional example of a marketplace\nwebsite built with Flex. Currently we have three template options:"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"ul","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://github.com/sharetribe/ftw-daily","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"FTW-daily"}]},{"type":"text","value":" \"Saunatime\" - a\nfictional marketplace for renting home saunas from sauna owners."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://github.com/sharetribe/ftw-hourly","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"FTW-hourly"}]},{"type":"text","value":" \"Yogatime - a\nfictional marketplace for booking yoga classes from various yoga\nteachers."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://github.com/sharetribe/ftw-product","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"FTW-product"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n\"Sneakertime\" - a product marketplace with stock management"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Setting up FTW should take no more than 5 minutes. The process is\ntechnical but doable even without development experience.\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/introduction/getting-started-with-ftw-daily/"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"The guide for getting started with FTW"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\nwill give you step by step instructions for doing it. If you encounter\nany problems with the setup,\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"mailto:flex-support@sharetribe.com","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"contact Sharetribe support"}]},{"type":"text","value":"."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Once you have FTW set up, you can create a few user accounts and test\nthe features: posting listings, searching them, making bookings and\npayments (see how to use\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/how-to/set-up-and-use-stripe/#6-test-the-stripe-account-in-flex-template-for-web"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"test credit card numbers provided by Stripe"}]},{"type":"text","value":"),\nsending messages between users, writing reviews, and so on. You can test\nthem both on your desktop and on a mobile browser to see how it works on\neach device. On Console, you can then see how the users, listings and\ntransactions you created in FTW appear there."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"h2","properties":{"id":"2-designing-your-marketplace","style":"position:relative;"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"#2-designing-your-marketplace","ariaLabel":"2 designing your marketplace permalink","className":["anchor","before"]},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"svg","properties":{"ariaHidden":"true","focusable":"false","height":"16","version":"1.1","viewBox":"0 0 16 16","width":"16"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"path","properties":{"fillRule":"evenodd","d":"M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"},"children":[]}]}]},{"type":"text","value":"2. Designing your marketplace"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Once you have the template up and running, the next step is to start\nworking on the design of your marketplace: how should it look like, and\nwhat kind of user interface is required for your users to interact with\neach other."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"It might be that you have already worked this part out: perhaps you have\nhired a designer who has already built a design document describing the\nexact user interface of your platform. If this is the case, you can jump\ndirectly to the "},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"#3-developing-your-marketplace"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Development section"}]},{"type":"text","value":"."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"If you haven't yet done any thinking in terms of the design, it's often\na good idea to start the design work from FTW. A good approach is to\nthink about what changes are needed to the different pages of FTW to\nmake it work with your concept. For example, you might want to adjust\nthe booking page to allow your users to book per hour instead of per\nnight. You can add pages (like \"FAQ\" or \"How it works\") or remove pages\nyou find unnecessary (perhaps a user profile page is not needed).\nNaturally you might also want to change the fonts, color scheme, and\nother elements of the general look & feel to make the marketplace look\nuniquely yours."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"You might also come to the conclusion that the user interface of your\nmarketplace is so different from the example presented in FTW that it\ndoesn't offer a good basis for your design. Perhaps you want to build a\nmobile app instead of a website, or just have some other major\ndifferences in your approach. That's completely fine: you can also start\ndrafting the user interface completely from scratch. Typically, it makes\nsense to start by building\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website_wireframe","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"wireframes"}]},{"type":"text","value":".\nWireframes offer a quick way to describe how the design works without\nconcentrating on the visual style. You can build wireframes by using pen\nand paper, or Powerpoint. A tool designed specifically for building\nwireframes, like "},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://whimsical.co/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Whimsical"}]},{"type":"text","value":" or\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://balsamiq.com/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Balsamiq"}]},{"type":"text","value":", can speed up this process quite a\nbit."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Remember that design doesn't mean just the visual style of your\nmarketplace, but also about how things should work. For example: when a\ncustomer makes a booking in your platform, you need to think about each\npossible interaction step between the customer and the provider. Can\nthey send messages to each other? Does the provider need to approve the\nbooking before money is charged? Can the customer cancel the booking and\nget a full refund? Can both parties review each other afterwards?"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"To model this \"transaction flow\" of your marketplace, it's often a good\nidea to draw a "},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowchart","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"flowchart"}]},{"type":"text","value":",\nwhich describes the different steps of the flow, and different options\nthat are possible in each step. Doing this helps you then figure out\nwhat kind of user interface you need to accommodate the design."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Once you have the wireframes ready and know what you want, the next step\nis to build the actual visual design. If you're comfortable with using a\ndesign tool like "},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://www.sketch.com/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Sketch"}]},{"type":"text","value":", you can\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/design-toolkit/design-files/#assets"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"download the Sketch design files of FTW"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\nand build your own design by adjusting these files. This approach can\ndramatically speed up the design process, and it offers an easy starting\npoint for the developers."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Does all of this sound overwhelming to you? If you're don't want to do\nthe design work yourself, you can always hire a designer to do it for\nyou. If you don't know any designers,\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"mailto:flex-support@sharetribe.com","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"contact Sharetribe support"}]},{"type":"text","value":" and\nwe'll connect you to a designer who can help you out."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"h2","properties":{"id":"3-developing-your-marketplace","style":"position:relative;"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"#3-developing-your-marketplace","ariaLabel":"3 developing your marketplace permalink","className":["anchor","before"]},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"svg","properties":{"ariaHidden":"true","focusable":"false","height":"16","version":"1.1","viewBox":"0 0 16 16","width":"16"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"path","properties":{"fillRule":"evenodd","d":"M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"},"children":[]}]}]},{"type":"text","value":"3. Developing your marketplace"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"In Flex, all the changes made to the user interface of your marketplace\nare done by editing the software code directly. Thus, once you have the\ndesign ready for your marketplace, it's time to start development work\nto make your marketplace look and work the way your designs describe."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Typically, the development work is done by downloading the\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://github.com/sharetribe/ftw-daily","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"open source codebase of FTW"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\nand customizing it according your needs. If you're a developer, you can\nproceed to do this and\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/ftw/how-to-customize-ftw/"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"start development right away"}]},{"type":"text","value":"."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"If you're not a developer yourself and don't have one in your team,\nyou'll need to contract or hire a developer to do this work for you. You\ncan work with any developer of your choice, but we highly recommend the\ndevelopers in the\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://www.sharetribe.com/experts/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Flex Expert Network"}]},{"type":"text","value":". The network\nconsists of experienced agencies and freelancers around the world, all\nvetted by Sharetribe for their Flex skills. They will be happy to guide\nyou through the process of defining your exact requirements and\ncompleting your marketplace based on them."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"If you'd like to receive a quote from a Flex Expert for building your\nmarketplace, you can head to the\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://www.sharetribe.com/experts/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Flex Expert Directory"}]},{"type":"text","value":" and contact\nsome developers directly from there. If you'd like to get help choosing\nthe right developer or learn more about the process for hiring, you can\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://calendly.com/welcome-to-flex","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"book a free consultation call"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\nwith a Sharetribe team member, and we'll guide you through the process."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"When you're hiring a developer, it helps a lot if you have already done\nsome work on the design, as that makes it easier for you to describe\nyour needs to the developer. This helps the developer in estimating how\nmany hours it will take to build what you need, which directly affects\nthe cost. Developers will typically bill you based on the number of\nhours they need to spend developing your platform. Some development\ncompanies also offer design work, and hiring such a company can be a\ngreat idea if you don't have your own designer, as getting the design\nand development done by the same team can streamline the development\nprocess."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"The development phase takes typically 1-2 months from the first lines of\ncode written to the launch of the first version. Depending on your exact\nrequirements, this period could also be shorter or longer. It should be\nnoted that design and development should happen in close collaboration:\nwhile doing development, you will likely learn new things, and\nconstantly adjust the design based on those."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Remember: building a marketplace platform is a process, not a project. A\ngood rule of thumb is that the first version of your marketplace should\nhave only the absolute minimum features required by your users. For more\ninformation on this, an article on\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/how-to-build-a-minimum-viable-platform/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"How to build your Minimum Viable Platform"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\nis highly recommended, as well as the other articles in\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/guide/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"The practical guide for building an online marketplace business"}]},{"type":"text","value":".\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"br","properties":{},"children":[]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"br","properties":{},"children":[]},{"type":"text","value":"\nAfter people start using your platform, you can monitor what they're doing\nand talk to them. Based on your findings you can then figure out what you\nshould build next. Quite often you discover that the most important thing\nto build next is not what you thought before launching your marketplace.\nThus, the more features your initial Minimum Viable Platform contains, the\nhigher is the likelihood that you end up wasting both money and time. So\ntry to launch as quickly as you can, as that is where the true learning begins."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"h2","properties":{"id":"4-going-live","style":"position:relative;"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"#4-going-live","ariaLabel":"4 going live permalink","className":["anchor","before"]},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"svg","properties":{"ariaHidden":"true","focusable":"false","height":"16","version":"1.1","viewBox":"0 0 16 16","width":"16"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"path","properties":{"fillRule":"evenodd","d":"M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"},"children":[]}]}]},{"type":"text","value":"4. Going live"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Once you've reached a point when you're ready to invite first real users\nto your marketplace, it's time to go live."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"At this point, you should subscribe to Sharetribe Flex. You can do this\nfrom Flex Console. 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The\ndevelopment phase is completely free. You only need to pay when you\nstart inviting your real users to your marketplace."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"After you've subscribed, we will create a "},{"type":"element","tagName":"em","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"live environment"}]},{"type":"text","value":" to\ncomplement your current "},{"type":"element","tagName":"em","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"dev"}]},{"type":"text","value":" and "},{"type":"element","tagName":"em","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"test"}]},{"type":"text","value":" environments. 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