002 Sponsorships
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The world's first pickleball influencer marketplace platform 002 Sponsorships is on a mission to simplify brand-influencer collaborations in the rapidly growing pickleball space.
Co-founded by serial entrepreneur Ed Chao, the idea stemmed from the absence of a centralized database for connecting brands breaking into the pickleball space with influencers.
As Chao explains, “We recognized that matching brands with influencers is just something that would help the entire ecosystem as the industry grows.”
Seeking a quick entry into the market and leveraging his successful previous collaboration with Airdev on a SportsTech startup platform (Cerebro Sports, which got investment from entrepreneur and NBA governor Mark Cuban), Chao turned to the no-code agency once again. Together, they built the 002 Sponsorships platform on Bubble, enabling fast development and continued iteration of their proof of concept.
The results?
- A custom 2-sided marketplace platform with custom database search filters and in-app messaging – built and in market within 2 months
- 60+ influencer and brand sign ups in just 2 months since launch
The OBJEctive
Chao and his team recognized the need for an influencer marketplace platform to support the industry's expansion after running a pickleball stats company called 002 Stats.
“We wanted to come up with a very simple proof of concept. We wanted to be first to market. We also wanted to launch something very basic that would enable brand-influencer relationships so we could learn what people want and start facilitating that on both sides of the marketplace.” - Chao
The SOLUTION
To develop a working platform that they could quickly evolve with user feedback, 002 Sponsorships turned to Airdev to build everything it needed to launch. Chao’s previous experience partnering with Airdev to build a no-code platform on Bubble showed him that they could quickly develop a robust, legitimate web app at a very affordable cost.
“After working with Airdev to build Cerebro Sport’s platform, I had 100% confidence in their scoping process and the way they handle pricing. I knew that once all app details were mapped out and wireframes were mocked up that’s exactly what I was going to get – and we were going to stay within budget and timeline.” - Chao
Airdev’s Approach
To translate 002 Sponsorship’s vision into detailed product specifications, Airdev’s dedicated project manager started by learning about the functionality requirements for the marketplace platform.
On the influencer side, 002 Sponsorships needed users to be able to easily create personal profiles to showcase themselves to brands (including DUPR skill ratings, social media metrics, geography, sponsorship history, etc.). On the brand side, the goal was to make it easier for companies to sift through a growing pool of influencers and engage with them to find the right fit for collaborations.
Using this information, Airdev’s project manager developed a thorough scoping document outlining the exact features and architecture for the app, which a UX designer then converted into high-fidelity mockups to show exactly what users will see when interacting with the product.
This all served as the blueprint for Airdev’s visual development team to quickly and accurately build out and test the app.
THE RESULT
After a 2-week build timeline, Airdev’s development team created a fully functioning marketplace platform that facilitated the complete signup, search, and messaging flow 002 Sponsorships needed to launch and validate their concept with real influencers and brands.
Influencers could build personal profiles, as well as search, filter, and start conversations with brand sponsors in the system. Similarly, brands could quickly sift through and bookmark influencers based on specified criteria then message them via in-app chat.
After launching in December 2024, 002 Sponsorships used Airdev’s Maintenance Mode support plan for a month to address user feedback and make quick iterations. Within just 2 months, the platform has attracted over 60 influencers and brands, with future plans to add more features as the platform expands.
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