I targeted the forums where the prospective customers would most hang out at - and it has worked out pretty well - its just not as scalable as I wish it would be. Unfortunately advertising at those same forums has not worked out as well.
I'm no expert on sales/marketing/distribution either, but... given that you run a paid service, each customer has a tangible lifetime value. So you can offer a referral commission to existing users every time they get a new customer to sign up.
Groupon, Dropbox, and tons of others do this.
Gamification, badges, recognition, social profiles.
Offer some sense of gratification when they complete a transaction and give something away.
Integrate with Facebook, both for inviting more users and for posting on their timeline when they have given something. It highlights their generosity.
Focus on having the recipient give feedback to the giver - recognition, express gratitude, how much they enjoyed what they got.
Craigslist has the audience but no sense of identity, community. eBay has the feedback loop and score but no social network.
Brilliant perspectives, thank you. I think you're right - gratitude is SO important in the transaction. In time, we hope a focus on that will be one of the most remarkable things about Yoink - and we can really amplify the intrinsic rewards people get from giving.
To help virality, Facebook integration should roll out in the next week, and regarding gamification - I guess we just need to get a decent number exchanges happening before all of those feedback components really come into their own. Some good ideas in there - really appreciate the feedback.
Market research: someone who can interview potential users/customers, get statistics on the market, create/run/evaluate surveys.
UI/UX: someone who can evaluate the user experience and design.
Security
+1 for code reviews
+1 for press
+1 for legal
+1 for SEO and marketing
What area is your idea in? You don't have to give exact specifics, but you can and should say what space it is in.
When looking for a co-founder you want someone who shares your passion and vision about the product.
Also, in your research have you spoken directly to potential customers/users?
I'm a technical founder seeking co-founders as well.
You show a lot of drive and dedication. Best of luck!
The idea can be summed up in three words "Amazon for services" .
I have talked to seller and buyers and have received validation (but then again its easy for people to say yeah I would use something like this).
If you are interested then please email me and I will share with you the documents that lay everything out.
Are you looking for technical co-founders. I am also open to joining someone else whose idea I believe in. Email me and we can talk more.
This is easy to quantify just by looking at the jobs posted on AngelList.