Epic Fail? How I Automated 1000+ Martial Arts Clubs marketplace
Overview
This business case demonstrates how we helped create Martial Map, a fully automated marketplace for the martial arts industry in France. The platform aimed to connect five key user groups—martial arts clubs, athletes, trainers, federations, and brands—by offering features like event publishing, training schedules, space rentals, and personalized news.
Despite attracting over 1,000 clubs, the platform faced challenges in achieving product-market fit and maintaining user engagement. This case outlines the solutions implemented, lessons learned, and key takeaways from building this innovative platform.
Challenges
Complex User Roles and Interactions
Managing five distinct user groups required intricate workflows and personalized experiences.
Scalability and Engagement
While user acquisition was strong, engagement levels were low, making it difficult to scale effectively.
Over-Automation Early in Development
Automating features too early in the process hindered flexibility and the ability to address user needs.
Operational Complexity
With over 100 pages and interconnected features, maintaining the platform required significant backend effort.
Resource Constraints
The platform operated on a lean budget of under €150/month, limiting innovation while balancing costs.
Solutions Implemented
Step 1: Analysis and Design
Conducted a thorough assessment of user needs for clubs, athletes, trainers, federations, and brands.
Designed intuitive workflows for key functions like event publishing, email notifications, and social media updates.
Built a local marketplace to streamline interactions based on geolocation and preferences.
Step 2: Tech Stack and Tools Used
The platform utilized cost-effective no-code and low-code tools, including:
WeWeb (Frontend): A flexible framework for creating user-friendly interfaces (€49/month).
Xano (Backend): Scaled data management and backend logic (€89/month).
ChatGPT: Automated content creation for descriptions and events.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): Automated email notifications and newsletters.
Stripe: Managed global transactions for free and paid tiers.
Abyssal: Enabled dynamic design creation for Instagram posts and stories (€25/month).
Step 3: Automated Workflows and Features
Dynamic Event Notifications: Personalized newsletters based on user location and preferences sent via Brevo.
Social Media Automation:
Integrated Abyssal and Instagram API for automatic event posts and stories.
Used templates prefilled with event data for real-time updates.
Custom Shortlink Builder: Enabled clubs to display real-time events via Instagram bio links, boosting visibility.
Step 4: Optimization and Refinement
Simplified dashboards for athletes and clubs to avoid feature overload.
Used ChatGPT to streamline content creation and prefill forms.
Enhanced backend workflows to improve API performance and load times.
Results and Impact
Tech Innovation and Efficiency
Operated the platform on less than €150/month, showcasing cost-effective solutions for complex marketplaces.
Automated workflows saved hundreds of hours in manual updates, social media posts, and newsletters.
Built-In Versatility
Supported seamless interaction for five distinct user groups in a feature-rich, single-location market.
Leveraged tools like ChatGPT and Abyssal for professional, real-time content updates.
Learning Opportunity for Future Projects
Established proof of concept for a low-cost, automated marketplace.
Identified critical lessons about validating user engagement before scaling features.
Although the platform transitioned to a side project, its technical achievements provide valuable insights for automating workflows and designing scalable user-centric platforms.
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Davy Martial
January 21, 2025
