How, then, could the founders monetize their platform model? The answer: They can charge users for the value they accrue from the ecosystem, but the charge should be levied on deal completion, not at the time of listing. They would make it possible for firms to post a deal risk-free by charging a fee only once the firms get what they need. The fee becomes performance-based, and it feels negligible because it simply skims off a small fraction of a transaction that’s occurring anyway.
