Skip to content

Marketplace Business Model

This document describes the business model for the ConnectSoft Marketplace. It is written for product managers, sales, creators, and anyone defining pricing and monetization for marketplace items.

The ConnectSoft Marketplace is a curated platform for templates, agents, modules, and connectors that extend the Factory and platforms. It enables creators to monetize their contributions while providing customers with ready-made solutions that accelerate development.

Warning

Marketplace is Phase 3+ — after Factory and Platforms are proven. Prerequisites include stable extension models, versioning, security review pipelines, and billing infrastructure. The marketplace will launch in phases: internal-only → private enterprise → public curated.

What the Marketplace Is

The ConnectSoft Marketplace is a curated platform for:

  • Templates - Microservice templates, blueprint packs, infrastructure templates
  • Agents - Specialized agents, skills, tools, MCP servers
  • Modules - Prebuilt microservices, vertical modules, integration modules
  • Connectors - Integration connectors, RAG data packs, connector bundles

All marketplace items plug into the Factory and platforms, enabling customers to extend capabilities without building from scratch.

Marketplace Categories

1. Template & Blueprint Marketplace

What's Sold: - Microservice templates (specialized for domains) - Blueprint packs - Front-end templates - CI/CD pipelines - Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) bundles

Target Buyers: - Factory users building custom systems - Platform teams standardizing templates - Consultancies needing vertical accelerators

2. Agent & Skill Marketplace

What's Sold: - Specialized agents & skills for the factory - Microsoft Agent Framework tools & MCP servers - QA agents with specific policies - Governance agents for compliance

Target Buyers: - Factory users needing specialized agents - Platform teams requiring governance agents - Enterprises building internal platforms

3. Module / Microservice Marketplace

What's Sold: - Prebuilt microservices - Vertical modules (industry-specific) - Integration modules - Production-ready services built on ConnectSoft templates

Target Buyers: - SaaS companies wanting drop-in capabilities - Enterprises needing prebuilt modules - Teams accelerating development

4. Data / Integration & Connector Marketplace

What's Sold: - Connectors/bridges (Greenhouse, Vetspire, Segment, CRM, etc.) - RAG data packs (pre-curated knowledge bases, taxonomies) - Integration packs for specific verticals

Target Buyers: - Teams using AI Bot Platform - Enterprises needing prebuilt integrations - Vertical SaaS companies

Revenue Models

The Marketplace supports multiple revenue models to accommodate different item types and customer preferences.

Primary Model: Revenue Share (70/30)

Structure: - Creator receives 70% of revenue - ConnectSoft receives 30% of revenue - Applies to all sales (one-time and subscriptions)

How It Works: - Customer purchases item through marketplace - Payment processed by ConnectSoft - Revenue automatically split between creator and ConnectSoft - Creator receives payment according to payout schedule

When to Use: - Primary model for all marketplace items - Encourages creator participation - Aligns creator and platform incentives

One-Time Purchase Model

Structure: - Customer pays fixed price for item - One-time purchase, lifetime access - Revenue share applies (70/30)

Pricing Examples: - Template packs: $X one-time fee - Agent packs: $Y one-time fee - Module bundles: $Z one-time fee

When to Use: - Template and blueprint packs - Agent skill bundles - Module bundles - One-time use items

Subscription Model

Structure: - Customer pays recurring subscription for access - Monthly or annual billing - Revenue share applies to each payment (70/30)

Subscription Tiers: - Basic - Access to free and basic items - Pro - Access to premium items, early releases - Enterprise - Full access, custom items, priority support

When to Use: - Premium template libraries - Agent subscription services - Ongoing module updates - Marketplace access tiers

Usage-Based Model

Structure: - Customer pays per execution/run - Metered usage (e.g., per 1,000 agent runs) - Revenue share applies (70/30)

Pricing Examples: - Agent executions: $X per 1,000 runs - API calls: $Y per 10,000 calls - Data processing: $Z per GB processed

When to Use: - Agent executions - API-based services - Data processing services - High-volume usage items

Phasing Strategy

The Marketplace launches in phases to ensure quality, security, and proper governance.

Phase 1: Internal-Only (Current)

Status: Internal use only

What Happens: - ConnectSoft uses items internally - Treated as "packaged modules" - Learn what works before opening up - Build curation and review processes

Revenue: Not applicable (internal use)

Phase 2: Private Marketplace (6-12 months)

Status: Enterprise customers only

What Happens: - Enterprise customers can publish internal items for their teams - Controlled environment - Learn from enterprise usage - Refine governance processes

Revenue Models: - Internal usage (no revenue share) - Enterprise licensing (custom terms)

Target: - Large enterprises building internal platforms - Platform teams standardizing templates - Organizations with strict compliance needs

Phase 3: Public Marketplace (12-18 months)

Status: Public curated marketplace

What Happens: - Curated third-party contributions - Public launch with select partners - Security and quality review pipeline - Full revenue share model (70/30)

Revenue Models: - Revenue share (70/30) - primary model - One-time purchases - Subscriptions - Usage-based pricing

Target: - All Factory users - External creators and partners - Broader customer base

Supply Side: Who Creates Items

ConnectSoft (First-Party)

What They Create: - Official templates, agents, and modules - Reference implementations - Core marketplace items

Revenue Model: - ConnectSoft retains 100% revenue (no revenue share) - Sets quality standards - Demonstrates marketplace capabilities

External Experts

Who They Are: - Domain architects - Agencies - Consultants - Industry specialists

What They Create: - Specialized templates for specific domains - Vertical modules - Industry-specific agents - Expert knowledge packs

Revenue Model: - Revenue share (70/30) - One-time or subscription pricing

Platform Teams

Who They Are: - Internal platform teams - Enterprise platform engineers - Governance teams

What They Create: - Governance agents - Compliance templates - Internal standards modules - Platform-specific tools

Revenue Model: - Internal use (no revenue) - Enterprise licensing (custom terms) - Public marketplace (70/30 revenue share)

Vertical SaaS Companies

Who They Are: - Industry-specific SaaS companies - Domain experts - Vertical solution providers

What They Create: - Vertical modules - Industry-specific templates - Domain expertise agents - Integration connectors

Revenue Model: - Revenue share (70/30) - Subscription or one-time pricing

Community (Phase 3+)

Who They Are: - Community contributors - Open source maintainers - Individual developers

What They Create: - Community templates - Open source modules - Community agents - Shared knowledge

Revenue Model: - Revenue share (70/30) for paid items - Free items (no revenue) - Optional donations

Demand Side: Who Buys Items

Factory Users

Who They Are: - Teams using Factory to generate systems - Architects and developers - Product teams

What They Buy: - Templates to accelerate development - Agents for specialized tasks - Modules for drop-in capabilities

Use Cases: - Accelerate development - Leverage domain expertise - Drop-in capabilities

Platform Teams

Who They Are: - Internal platform teams - Enterprise platform engineers - Governance teams

What They Buy: - Governance agents - Compliance templates - Standardization modules

Use Cases: - Enforce governance - Standardize patterns - Compliance and security

SaaS Companies

Who They Are: - SaaS product companies - Vertical SaaS providers - B2B SaaS platforms

What They Buy: - Vertical modules - Industry-specific templates - Integration connectors

Use Cases: - Drop-in capabilities - Industry expertise - Faster time-to-market

Consultancies

Who They Are: - System integrators - Consulting firms - Implementation partners

What They Buy: - Vertical accelerators - Template packs - Agent bundles

Use Cases: - Accelerate client delivery - Reusable solutions - Standardized approaches

Enterprises

Who They Are: - Large organizations - Enterprise customers - Regulated industries

What They Buy: - Enterprise-grade modules - Compliance templates - Governance agents

Use Cases: - Internal marketplaces - Compliance and security - Standardization

Quality Standards and Governance

All marketplace items must meet quality standards before listing.

Quality Requirements

Code Review: - All code reviewed before listing - Security review for all items - Architecture compliance check

Testing: - Comprehensive tests required - Examples and demos required - Integration tests for modules

Documentation: - Complete documentation required - Usage examples - API documentation (if applicable)

Compatibility: - Version compatibility clearly stated - Factory version requirements - Platform dependencies

Governance Process

  1. Submission - Creator submits item for review
  2. Review - ConnectSoft team reviews code, tests, documentation
  3. Security Check - Security review for all items
  4. Approval - Approved items listed in marketplace
  5. Updates - Version updates go through same review process
  6. Monitoring - Usage and feedback monitored

Revenue Share Details

70/30 Split: - 70% to creator - 30% to ConnectSoft

Payment Terms: - One-time purchases: Revenue share on initial sale - Subscriptions: Ongoing revenue share for each payment - Usage-based: Revenue share on each usage charge

Enterprise Deals: - Custom terms for enterprise deals - Volume discounts available - Custom licensing options

Relationship to Factory, Platforms, and Squads

The Marketplace extends all three pillars of ConnectSoft's product portfolio.

Marketplace Extends Factory

How: - Templates plug into Factory generation - Agents extend Factory capabilities - Modules integrate with Factory-generated services

Value: - Factory users can leverage marketplace items - Accelerates Factory-based development - Expands Factory capabilities

Marketplace Extends Platforms

How: - Modules integrate with platforms - Connectors extend platform capabilities - Templates customize platform deployments

Value: - Platform users can extend functionality - Custom integrations available - Vertical-specific modules

Marketplace Extends Squads

How: - Squads use marketplace templates - Marketplace agents enhance squad capabilities - Marketplace modules accelerate squad delivery

Value: - Squads deliver faster with marketplace items - Higher quality through proven templates - Specialized capabilities available

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Customer Buys Healthcare Template Pack

Situation: Customer building healthcare SaaS needs specialized templates

Solution: Purchase healthcare template pack from marketplace

Outcome: - Customer gets healthcare-specific microservice templates - Templates include HIPAA compliance patterns - Accelerates development by 3-6 months

Revenue: - One-time purchase: \(X - Creator receives 70% (\)0.7X) - ConnectSoft receives 30% ($0.3X)

Scenario 2: Enterprise Subscribes to Governance Agent Library

Situation: Enterprise platform team needs governance agents

Solution: Subscribe to governance agent library

Outcome: - Enterprise gets access to governance agents - Agents enforce compliance and standards - Standardized governance across organization

Revenue: - Monthly subscription: \(Y/month - Creator receives 70% (\)0.7Y/month) - ConnectSoft receives 30% ($0.3Y/month)

Scenario 3: SaaS Company Uses Vertical Module

Situation: SaaS company needs payment processing module

Solution: Purchase payment processing module from marketplace

Outcome: - Drop-in payment processing capability - Production-ready, tested module - Integrates with existing services

Revenue: - One-time purchase: \(Z - Creator receives 70% (\)0.7Z) - ConnectSoft receives 30% ($0.3Z)

Pricing Strategy

Marketplace pricing follows value-based principles:

  • Value-Based: Price based on value delivered, not cost
  • Tiered: Multiple pricing models (one-time, subscription, usage)
  • Transparent: Clear pricing with revenue share disclosed
  • Flexible: Options for different item types and customer needs

Pricing Considerations

For Creators: - Revenue share (70/30) is standard - Pricing should reflect value, not just cost - Consider market rates for similar items

For Customers: - Compare to building in-house - Consider time-to-value - Factor in maintenance and updates

Prerequisites for Marketplace Launch

Before launching the marketplace, ConnectSoft must have:

  • Stable Extension Model - Clear spec for how items plug into Factory
  • Versioning & Compatibility - Version management and compatibility checks
  • Security & Review Pipeline - Automated and manual review processes
  • Billing & Metering Infrastructure - Payment processing and revenue share automation

Tip

Marketplace is Phase 3+ — after Factory and Platforms are proven. Don't rush this. Focus on proving Factory and Platforms first, then build marketplace infrastructure.