Marketplace complexity is operational
Multi-vendor platforms are not just storefronts. They need onboarding, catalog review, inventory sync, order handling, payouts, disputes, and admin visibility.
Architecture choices
We separate buyer journeys, vendor workflows, and admin operations while keeping a shared product catalog and order lifecycle. This prevents operational screens from slowing down customer-facing pages.
Launch lesson
The first version should make vendors successful quickly. Clean onboarding, reliable catalog validation, and transparent order status matter more than decorative features.