Why Marketplaces Matter: Lessons for Future of Sports
The Marketing Team
We sat down with Ashik Lama, founder of iCaptain, to discuss the vision behind his sports tech platform. What started as a conversation about sports operations soon turned into a broader exploration of why marketplaces exist, why people gravitate toward them, and what lessons the sports industry can take from companies like Canva and Airbnb.
The discussion is available on Instagram. Click this link to access it. -> Click Me
On Canva and the Marketplace Mindset
Q: Canva is often thought as the marketplace for design. Is that why its popular and do you see it as a viable business model?
Ashik: “I can give you plenty of reasons why markplaces exist and are popular. Most importantly, you’re inside a complete ecosystem. That’s what keeps people there. It’s convenience at scale. And people love to get everything delivered to them in one screen, one platform, without having to go anywhere else.”
This observation became the springboard for a larger conversation about why marketplaces exist in the first place.
Why Marketplaces Exist
Q: So what’s the core logic behind marketplaces and aggregators? Why do people keep building them?
Ashik: “It comes down to fragmented supply and scattered demand. Sellers are everywhere, academies, service providers, retailers, coaches, but buyers don’t want to chase ten different websites or make twenty phone calls. They want one place where everything is centralized.
Marketplaces win because they save time. They allow comparisons, they show reviews, they provide ratings. Buyers can see everything at once and make a decision faster. That’s the heart of it.”
The Trust Factor
Ashik pointed out that beyond speed and convenience, marketplaces also introduce trust and transparency.
Ashik: “When you have reviews and ratings, people feel confident. They know who they can trust, they know who delivers quality. That makes decision-making much easier. It’s no longer just about finding a product or service, it’s about feeling secure in your choice.”
Efficiency, Friction, and Network Effects
Marketplaces also reduce the invisible “friction costs” of transactions.
Ashik: “With a marketplace, you see the pricing upfront, you know the schedules, and you book seamlessly. No back-and-forth emails, no guesswork. From the seller’s side, it’s the network effect: more sellers bring more buyers, more buyers attract more sellers. Over time, the platform becomes the default place to go.”
That default status is what turns a good marketplace into a dominant one.
What It Means for Sports
Q: And this is exactly what you want iCaptain to become for sports?
Ashik: “Yes. Today, sports is scattered. A parent has to call around to find an academy. Recreational athletes look at five different websites. Occasional players might give up altogether because it’s too much hassle.
With iCaptain, the idea is simple: one place for everything. If you’re renting a field, signing your child up for a program, or looking for a coach in your area, or even halfway across the world, you can do it in one platform.
You compare, you read reviews, you trust the ratings, and you book. It’s efficient, it’s transparent, and it saves time. That’s how sports grows, by making it easier for everyone to participate.”
From Canva to iCaptain: A Universal Lesson
The conversation circled back to where it began: Canva. Its success story shows that people don’t just want tools, they want ecosystems. The same logic applies across industries, whether it’s booking a holiday rental, hailing a ride, or finding a local football academy.
Marketplaces thrive because they don’t just connect buyers and sellers. They become the place people go by default, the first tab you open, the first app you download. And for sports, iCaptain wants to claim that space.
