Zuba
Zuba: scoping the v1 real estate marketplace
What the first version of Zuba actually needs to prove, and what I'm deliberately leaving out so it ships.
zubaproductbuild-in-public
Build-in-public update on Zuba, the real estate marketplace I'm building.
The v1 question
The temptation with a marketplace is to build everything at once — search, maps, messaging, escrow, reviews. The v1 question is narrower:
Can I get a buyer and a seller to transact without leaking off-platform?
What ships
- Listings — the core object, with photos, price, and location.
- Search & filters — neighborhood, price band, property type.
- Inquiry flow — a buyer can message a seller directly on-platform.
What deliberately doesn't
- No map tiles yet — a list view proves the data model first.
- No payments — escrow is a whole legal product of its own.
- No scoring/ratings — trust is earned later, once there's volume.
The goal is a thick slice, not a complete cake.
| Component | Status |
|---|---|
| Listings | in progress |
| Search | planned |
| Inquiries | planned |
| Payments | out of scope for v1 |
More next week.