App Marketplace Strategy Template

Most successful B2B app marketplaces launched with 10-30 apps across 3-5 categories. The minimum viable catalog depends on your customer base: you need at least 2-3 apps per category that your most-requested integrations fall into. If 60% of your support tickets mention Slack, GitHub, and Salesforce integrations, those three alone might justify a public launch if each has a quality app.

For most B2B marketplaces, no. Charging developers to list reduces your app catalog and creates a barrier to entry. Revenue share on app sales is a better model because it aligns incentives: you only earn when developers earn. Consider listing fees only if you have a mature marketplace with more developer demand than you can review, and you need a quality signal.

Version your API and maintain backward compatibility for at least 12 months after deprecation notice. Provide a staging environment where developers can test against upcoming releases. Publish a changelog with at least 30 days notice before breaking changes. For critical partners, offer early access to pre-release APIs. The [two-sided marketplace template](/templates/marketplace-two-sided-template) covers the broader challenge of maintaining both sides of a platform relationship.

An app marketplace is the storefront: discovery, distribution, reviews, payments. A plugin system is the technical architecture: APIs, hooks, sandboxing, permissions. You need both. The plugin system defines what apps can do. The marketplace defines how users find, install, and pay for them. Build the plugin system first, then layer the marketplace on top.

Set clear guidelines upfront. Most platforms allow apps that extend core features but restrict apps that replicate them. For example, a project management tool might allow a time-tracking app (extension) but disallow a task management app (competition). Publish these boundaries in your developer guidelines and enforce them during review. Changing the rules after developers have built apps destroys trust. ---