Trust. It’s the foundation of every relationship—whether between people, brands, or between a user and a digital product. As digital experiences must seamlessly integrate with physical realities to a greater degree every day, it begs the question: How do we build and maintain that trust?
Alexis Baird, Head of Product Experience at Thumbtack, has spent her career navigating this delicate balance, and in the latest episode of Next Gen Builders, she shares her perspective on the subject.
In a conversation, Francois Ajenstat invites Alexis to explore the intricacies of building a marketplace product experience that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of modern users—users who demand both convenience and authenticity.
Listen to the episode and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
The most critical principle for marketplace experiences
Thumbtack is a digital marketplace where homeowners can match with skilled professionals to confidently and easily accomplish their home projects.
In any marketplace where the physical and digital intersect daily, trust can’t just be a buzzword; it has to be the foundation of every interaction. As Alexis puts it:
“Trust is not just the consistency of showing that you have someone else's interests at heart. It's also about showing that you have those interests at heart, even when it might run counter to your own.”
This principle is crucial for any company navigating the complexities of selling in a digital-first world. A digital platform’s success hinges on its ability to connect users in a natural and intuitive way, removing the barriers that often exist in offline interactions. It’s not just about facilitating transactions; it’s about building genuine and supportive relationships.
This commitment to integrity is Thumbtack’s guiding principle. In a marketplace model, building trust is important on both sides of the platform—for both homeowners and professionals. Let’s look at how Thumbtack approaches building trust for each.
Building trust by streamlining business growth
Whether they’re plumbers, painters, floor specialists, or other professionals, the focus is always on their craft, not on chasing down new customers or managing administrative tasks.
“When you talk to our pros, most of them didn’t get into their line of work to chase down new customers or schedule tasks. They’re skilled at their craft... and that’s where they want to focus their energy,” Alexis explains.
Thumbtack’s role, and the role of any successful digital platform, is to take care of the rest, providing tools that allow these professionals to grow their businesses without getting bogged down in tasks that distract from their expertise.
Building trust through proactive experiences
This commitment to ease and support is equally critical on the user side. A platform should help users solve immediate problems—like finding a plumber when the sink breaks—while anticipating their needs to prevent future issues. That might involve offering proactive tips, reminders, or educational content empowering users to take control of their situation before it becomes a crisis.
Trust is built when users know their needs have been anticipated and when the service feels less like a transaction and more like a partnership. Whether by providing clear, reliable information or ensuring that the platform's professionals are thoroughly vetted, the commitment to trust must extend beyond the digital interface into the real-world interactions that follow.
The challenge goes beyond simply making a sale—it’s about creating an experience that simplifies the complex, empowers all parties involved, and builds lasting relationships. Companies that understand this, like Thumbtack, are not just offering a service; they’re becoming trusted partners in their users’ journeys, helping their users focus on what they do best.
Marketplaces have two sets of users to understand
Building trust comes down to fully understanding your users. And in marketplace models, it gets a little bit more complex, because there are two types of users to understand and solve for. For Thumbtack, it’s homeowners and pros.
Success looks different for each type of user:
- For homeowners: Ensure they can care for their home with confidence.
- For pros: Seamlessly grow their business.
Though success might look different for each user type, Thumbtack found a common value driver for both: Getting jobs done seamlessly so you can get back to enjoying what you love. By providing value for one user type, Thumbtack is also self-feeding value for the other.
If a homeowner needs to fix a broken sink, and has an amazing, seamless experience with a great plumber they found on Thumbtack, they’ll likely hire the same plumber in the future, and also come to Thumbtack when they need an electrician, handyman, or other service provider.
Let’s take a closer look at how Thumbtack approaches understanding each user and how serving value for one side of the marketplace, grows the other side.
Empowering your customers with tools and resources
Owning a home is a milestone, a source of pride—and often, a source of stress. Alexis understands this intimately, having become a homeowner herself just a few years ago.
“Your home is your largest financial asset, and yet the shirt that you are wearing has more how-to-care-for-it instructions than your home comes with.”
This lack of guidance can overwhelm anyone, especially when unexpected issues arise, like a malfunctioning bathroom fan or the creeping suspicion that something vital is slipping through the cracks. Alexis recalls her own experiences, noting how even the most straightforward tasks can become sources of anxiety when you're unsure of where to start.
This is common for all homeowners: It’s not just about finding a professional, it’s about knowing what to do and when, what kind of professional you might need, how much time it might take, the cost, and how it gets done.
Last spring, Thumbtack launched personalized guidance and planning tools tailored to each user’s unique home to help educate the homeowner. By doing so, Thumbtack transformed anxiety into actionable steps, helping users feel in control of their home maintenance and improvement.
“We wanted to create something that was tailored to your home and your needs,” Alexis shares, highlighting the importance of making customers feel less “at sea” with the responsibilities they manage.
This approach can be applied across industries—whether you’re developing a service, a product, or a digital tool. By offering clear, customized advice and easy access to the right resources, you empower your customers to take control, making their journey a little less daunting and a lot more manageable.
Understanding your customers holistically is—again—all about anticipating their needs before they know they have them. It’s about creating a relationship where customers feel supported not just in the moment of need but throughout their entire journey. When you do this, you’re not just providing a service—you’re becoming a trusted partner in your customers’ lives, helping them navigate challenges confidently.
Saving your customers time
How did this focused effort on homeowner education impact the pros? They no longer had to waste as much time educating a homeowner or providing guidance that didn’t result in a job.
Alexis discusses the challenge of designing a system that respects these professionals' expertise while minimizing the tech overhead that can slow them down.
“They got into it because they enjoy and are good at the craft, and that's what they want to focus on,” she explains.
Thoughtful application of technology does more than just remove obstacles—it also empowers those professionals to excel. Thumbtack is committed to helping pros not just survive in a digital-first world but thrive. By understanding the unique challenges these experts face, Thumbtack creates tools that don’t just streamline processes but actually enhance the pros’ ability to connect with high-quality customers, showcase their skills, and build lasting relationships. This approach allows them to focus on the work they love while expanding their reach and reputation in a competitive market.
What product development and leadership have in common
Throughout the conversation, Alexis reflects on her leadership journey, which, much like her approach to product experience, is grounded in a deep commitment to continuous learning and adaptability. She shares insights from her time working with an external coach who challenged her to rethink her leadership style. This experience opened her eyes to the nuances of managing a diverse team, each member with their unique needs and motivations. “Some people want public recognition. Some people... want more of my time,” she observes, underscoring the significance of personalized leadership.
Alexis’s leadership philosophy is as thoughtful and intentional as the products she helps create. It goes beyond just guiding a team—emphasizing the importance of understanding that leadership is not a one-size-fits-all approach. By being forward-looking and adaptable, she ensures that her team members feel supported in the way that resonates most with them, whether through recognition, responsibility, or simply time.
This commitment to learning and growth doesn’t stop at leadership. Alexis sees every challenge, whether a complex project at Thumbtack or a seemingly simple home repair, as an opportunity to learn and evolve. “There's always more to learn about our homes, about building, about people, and just in general,” she says, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of continuous improvement that not only drives her work at Thumbtack but also shapes her as a leader. For Alexis, every experience, every obstacle, is a stepping stone on the path to better understanding and more effective leadership.
And what happens when things don’t go as planned? Whether it’s a product launch that doesn’t meet expectations or an experiment that produces too-good-to-be-true results, Alexis is no stranger to the “oh shit” moments of product development. When things go pear-shaped, her approach remains consistent: stay forward-looking and always be ready to learn.
“You can't dwell on the past too much… What did we learn from this that we can apply going forward?” she reflects. This learning mindset isn’t just about avoiding mistakes; it’s about embracing them as opportunities for growth. It’s an approach that permeates the entire Thumbtack culture, where the focus is on continuous improvement and adapting to new challenges.
Tune in to Alexis’ Story
Listen to our latest Next Gen Builders episode to explore how Alexis Baird builds successful marketplace product experiences, her leadership strategies, and the lessons she's learned from her unique journey in product management.
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