Handoff
A premium home services marketplace with 80 providers onboarded in the first month. Designed and built in 29 days.
The Challenge
The founder had a clear model: a premium home services marketplace where homeowners could book vetted contractors and pay through the platform. Every off-the-shelf solution wanted a cut of revenue or locked him into someone else's infrastructure. He needed a platform he owned outright.
The Approach
Mapped out a dual-sided marketplace with separate flows for homeowners and service providers. Homeowners browse, request quotes and pay in-app. Providers manage their availability, accept jobs and receive payouts. One admin panel to run it all.
Designed provider onboarding with identity verification, in-app messaging between homeowners and contractors, Stripe Connect for split payments, and a review system to build trust on both sides.
The Outcome
Launched in a single city with 30 personally vetted providers. The first week brought 14 completed jobs. Within a month, 80 providers were onboarded and expansion to two additional cities was underway.
"What Nikola designed looks like it came from a team ten times our size. Providers signed up because the platform looked trustworthy from the first screen. 80 onboarded in the first month, and most of them mentioned the design as a reason they joined." Ryan T., Founder, Handoff