Business Topologies
Last refined  ·  2026·05·28
Business Model Canvas  ·  Stress test

Platform aggregation

A stress-test variant — what would SPF look like if it pivoted to running its own marketplace surface? Not a model we are pursuing, but useful to model explicitly so the trade-offs against v1 are visible.

Brad Arner  ·  Simple Product Feeds  ·  Commerce
FIG The canvas, in full Nine blocks · click to read
Key Partners I
  • 62 makers — now SPF dependents, not data publishers
  • Payment processors (Stripe, Adyen) — required because SPF transacts
  • AI assistants + search — still readers, but SPF mediates
  • Platform infrastructure providers (CDN, hosting)
Open ›
Key Activities II
  • Schema design and maintenance (still — but smaller share of effort)
  • Platform operations (hosting, search, browse, checkout)
  • Payments and dispute handling
  • Catalog moderation and trust-and-safety
  • Customer service (buyer-side, new)
Open ›
Key Resources III
  • The SPF schema (now a marketing asset, not the offering)
  • The hosted marketplace destination
  • The aggregated catalog (cross-maker)
  • The simpleproductfeeds.com brand as a buyer destination
Open ›
Value Propositions IV
  • Owned structured data (still — schema stays public)
  • Curated marketplace surface (SPF-operated)
  • Centralized discovery for buyers
  • A take-rate on sales (the platform earns)
Open ›
Customer Relationships V
  • Maker contracts (seller agreements, fee terms)
  • Buyer accounts and order history
  • Reviews and ratings (the platform's social layer)
  • Subscription concierge for top buyers
Open ›
Channels VI
  • simpleproductfeeds.com as the primary destination
  • Seller-owned domains (now secondary)
  • AI assistants (now pointed at the SPF product page)
  • Mobile app (added as a marketplace standard)
Open ›
Customer Segments VII
  • Independent makers (B2B, primary supply side)
  • Discriminating-attribute buyers (B2C, NEW segment)
  • The two-sided market problem
  • Specialty cafés, home enthusiasts, et al.
Open ›
Cost Structure VIII
  • Platform engineering (now the largest line)
  • Payment processing (transactional)
  • Customer acquisition (buyer-side marketing — new)
  • Maker support and seller success
  • Schema maintenance (now smaller share)
Open ›
Revenue Streams IX
  • Transaction take rate (5-12% of sale value)
  • Subscription tiers for makers (premium placement, analytics)
  • Payment processing margin
  • Sponsored ranking (potentially)
Open ›

Refinement history

How this model has changed over time. Newest first.

  1. Refinement 2026·05·28

    Buyer segment added explicitly; cost-side inversion sharpened (schema work shrinks as platform operations dominate). The contradiction with v1's revenue commitment is now surfaced in the REV block annotation.

  2. Ideation 2026·05·20

    Initial sketch — what if SPF became a centralized destination on top of the schema? Drafted to make explicit what v1's commitments prevent.