I'm Yoroomie, Mike Williams
Want to know everything about marketplace startups from someone actually building & scaling them?
I'm known for sharing real insights on building & scaling marketplaces (two have been acquired). I literally wrote the book on it and how it's now possible using no & low code.

I'm an entrepreneur that builds, works with, and invests in marketplace startups.
I currently run Thinkbox and Studiotime. The two previous marketplaces I started were acquired (one funded and one bootstrapped). Since then I've gone on to also invest in 15+ startups that have raised $110M+ and I'm also a partner in two funds. I love sharing insights & everything along the way.
You Might Have Seen My Work In:

I'm known for sharing everything I'm working on & learning (the real stuff others don't) with marketplaces. I send out a newsletter and by subscribing, you'll receive it directly in your inbox.
Yoroomie?
Yo, I'm Mike Williams or you might know me as Yoroomie. Long story, but it's my nickname I was given by some of my friends (and former roommates) and it's stuck.
I'm an entrepreneur that builds, works with, and invests in marketplace startups. I'm always working on something and sharing, which you can be the first to know when I do by signing up for my newsletter.
What I currently do
I currently run Thinkbox that I started in 2016. We build and launch our own marketplaces, work with other marketplaces, and also invest through our "fund". We've raised $0 from investors and also reinvest our revenue and profits into the startup ecosystem (through our "fund") by backing some amazing founders and companies (15+ startups that have raised over $110M).
I'm also the founder of Studiotime, which is the first company launched out of Thinkbox and the largest online community of music studios in the world. It's been called the "Airbnb of music studios" and has been featured in VICE, Forbes, BBC, and more. Studiotime is in over 35+ countries. I share the story of how I cancelled dinner, built it in an evening, and launched it here. Studiotime was then bootstrapped out of Thinkbox and it's a highly profitable startup today.
I also work with Founder's Institute as a mentor, in addition to advising a select few startups.
What I did before
I also built and launched Yoroomie App (fitting for my nickname), which was acquired within six months (all cash deal). This was our first acquisition for a Thinkbox company. I've written in-depth about how we built the app in 30 days, growth hacks we used to scale it, and then what we learned from it being acquired here.
Prior to all of the above, I was the founder and CEO of Codeity, a hiring platform that was scaled to 500+ companies that used it to hire developers. It was a funded startup (we raised a seed round) and was acquired in 2015 by Angelhack (press release on that here).
The Yoroomie startup list
Since I've done quite a bit, I made a list view for all of the companies that I've started in the past (and current), side projects I've built, companies I advise, and also companies I've invested in. You can see the full list here.
Things outside of tech I'm proud of
I cycled semi-professionally during college and then was a professional cyclist (UCI Professional Team) for one season after graduating.I went to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for college (while cycling professionally still) and have my commercial pilot's license. I went from no flight training, private pilot, instrument rated, multi-engine, and then commercial flight rated in one of the fastest tracks anyone had completed it at the time I was in flight school.
I'm known for sharing everything I'm working on & learning (the real stuff others don't) with marketplaces. I send out a newsletter and by subscribing, you'll receive it directly in your inbox.
The Yoroomie Startup List
Since I've done quite a bit, I made a list view for all of the companies that I've started in the past (and current), side projects I've built, companies I advise, and also companies I've invested in below.
Companies Started
Thinkbox
Studiotime
Yoroomie App (acquired)
Codeity (acquired)
Investments
Brandable
Burrow
mParticle
Zeotap
ProducePay
Public Goods
The Picks & Shovels Co. (Interchange)
Cognomotiv
Drive Motors
Gone
Krue
Rinse
Service
Trusted (acquired)
VetPronto (acquired)
Fund Investments
Shrug Capital (Limited Partner)
Bitwise Asset Management HOLD 10 Crypto Index
Side Projects
Uni
Peerkey
Art Chatbot
Companies Advising
CryptoCribs
Point
Clokka
Crumbs App (acquired)
I'm known for sharing everything I'm working on & learning (the real stuff others don't) with marketplaces. I send out a newsletter and by subscribing, you'll receive it directly in your inbox.
Startup Resources
I'm sharing everything I've learned along the way building & running marketplaces (two have been acquired so far), in addition to working with some of the largest marketplace teams.
Books
The Guide To No Code Marketplaces New
Guest blog posts
My Sharetribe Blog Guest Posts On Building, Launching, & Scaling Revenue Generating Marketplaces
Video tutorials
Build A Sharetribe Marketplace Tutorial Series:
Sharetribe Tutorial Series For Building A Spaces Marketplace Like Airbnb Or Studiotime
Sharetribe Tutorial Series For Building A Goods Marketplace Like Etsy, Grailed, Or Goat App
Sharetribe Tutorial Series For Building A Services Marketplace Like Fiverr Or Upwork
Marketplace Guides & Tips:
How To Bootstrap An Online Marketplace
How To Onboard & Grow Supply For Marketplaces
How To Generate Marketplace Bookings, Liquidity, & Revenue
Tips For Starting An Online Marketplace
For more step-by-step guides on how to build, launch, validate, and scale marketplaces & startups using the above, you check out my videos here.
For more of my resources on building, launching, and scaling online marketplace startups, you can access them in Everything Marketplaces, a marketplace founders community that I started.
Want to know when I share a new resource?
I'm always sharing what I'm learning, working on, and real insights with marketplaces. I not only send out a newsletter with this, but I try to make more detailed resources like books, tutorials, and more. Subscribe below to be the first to know when I do so.
Home / About / Startup Resources / Contact & Work With Me
Want To Chat, Pick My Brain, Or Talk About Working Together?
You can schedule a call with me to talk about everything no & low code, how you can leverage it with your startup, and/or marketplaces.
Note that these calls are for serious founders or businesses and are priced accordingly at a 45 minute call or Google Hangout being $375. If you're on a budget, have already referenced resources I've shared before, and still have questions, you can just ask me on social and I'll answer you there.
To book a call, you can do the following:
1. Pay using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below.
2. When your payment is successfully completed, I will send you a link with a few times and dates for availability within 48 hours.
3. Once confirmed, I will be available via email to answer any brief questions in advance of our call.
Book a call by clicking "Buy Now" below
I'm known for sharing everything I'm working on & learning (the real stuff others don't) with marketplaces. I send out a newsletter and by subscribing, you'll receive it directly in your inbox.
Home / About / Startup Resources / Contact & Work With Me