Market

Find what you need through people you trust

Note

We are still determining a final name for the market. Let us know if you have ideas - market@kwila.cloud.

Problems to Solve

Used Market

If you are looking for a good deal on something on the used market, it takes way too much time and effort to research and find what you need.

What if you could simply post what you're looking for - "need a used stove, $200 budget" or "need a house cleaner" - and your community could help you find what you are looking for?

Small Businesses

If you are looking to have a digital presence for your small business without breaking the bank investing in a dedicated website, what do you do?

What if you could quickly and easily set up a vendor page to list your inventory and portfolio?

Our Solution

An online marketplace designed to foster authentic interactions and high-quality transactions within trusted communities. Built for local artisans, small businesses, and individuals who value relationships over profit margins.

This market exists to serve people and communities, not investors or growth metrics. We're building a platform for small-scale, high-trust commerce that keeps the focus on authentic human relationships.

How It Works

1. Join through invitation: Receive an invite link from someone already in the network
2. Browse or request: Search existing offerings or post what you're looking for
3. Connect privately: Accept offers that interest you and start direct conversations
4. Transact your way: Handle payments outside the platform (in person, Venmo, Cash, etc.)
5. Build trust: Your network grows organically through real connections

Core Values

• Humans are eternal, the things we buy and sell are not.
• Relationships have lasting value, profit margins do not.
• Quality is worth far more than quantity.

Core Features

Request-Driven Commerce

The heart of our market is the request system. Users can post what they're looking for, and others on the platform can attempt to fulfill those requests. Whether you need a used stove for $500 or a custom software solution, simply describe what you are looking for and leverage your social connections to reduce the time and effort it takes to find it.

Three Item Categories

• New Items: Locally made goods from artisans and small businesses (custom crafts, 3D printed items, handmade clothing, etc.)
• Resale Items: Quality used goods that deserve a second life instead of going to waste (equipment, furniture, sporting goods, etc.)
• Services: Gig work and specialized skills (repairs, freelance work, custom shopping services, etc.)

Trust Through Connections

Our platform is invite-only during the beta phase. New accounts can only be created through invite links from existing members, automatically establishing a connection between inviter and invitee. This creates an organic network of people who know each other, ensuring authenticity from day one.

Privacy-First Design

Contact information (email and phone) has three visibility levels:

• Hidden: Only the system can see it
• Connections Only: Only visible to your direct connections
• Public: Visible to all users and visitors

When someone responds to your request, you see their offer first—not their contact details. You choose whether to open a direct messaging channel or decline with no further contact.

Technical Stack

• Frontend: Astro with React/Vue islands for interactive components
• Backend: Supabase (database, authentication, image storage)
• License: MIT

Project Status

The project is currently in early development. We're focused on validating the core marketplace mechanics with a trusted beta group before adding more complex features.

Contributing

This is an open-source project, and contributions are welcome. See our contributing guide to get started.

Documentation

For developers, see the developer documentation for architecture details and system documentation.