Pioneers like eBay, Airbnb and Uber were all created to connect an underutilised supply with an unmet demand for a product or service using a technology platform.

Historically, marketplaces are slow to hit critical mass but take off more steeply and reach milestones more quickly than traditional companies. Why? Marketplaces have unlimited scale and aren’t burdened by the same constraints of conventional transactional businesses like inventory supply and balance sheet. 

Read more at forbes.com