Colin Gardiner
Marketplace operator, advisor, and GP at Yonder
colingardiner
Austin, Texas
Joined August 2025
Network
14.1K connectionsDWBABW
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Summary
Deep marketplace operator background — product, growth, and monetization: Colin spent a decade building and scaling marketplace products (Ancestry, Tripping.com, Outdoorsy) where he led product and later revenue functions. He focuses on acquisition, conversion, take-rate/monetization levers, and unit economics for two‑sided platforms. sharetribe+1
Operator-turned-investor (solo GP / founder of Yonder): He runs Yonder, a pre-seed marketplace fund (Marketplace+ thesis) that aims to be the first institutional check and provide hands-on operator help to early marketplace founders. yonder+1
Content creator and educator for marketplace founders: Colin publishes 'Take Rate' (Substack) and co-hosts 'Wannabe Angels' to share playbooks and fundraising/marketplace lessons with founders and aspiring angels. gardinercolin+1
Active community-builder and advisor: beyond investing, Colin advises and consults (Karta Labs), served as an Operator in Residence at Techstars, and frequently speaks/interviews on marketplace topics — positioning him as a go-to practical adviser for marketplace founders. mentorpass+1
Work
Education
Projects
Writing
I Found Product-Market Fit
January 1, 2025Substack post that walks through practical signals and tactics for recognizing and scaling product-market fit in marketplaces.
Take Rate (Substack) — marketplace essays and newsletters
A newsletter and collection of long-form essays about marketplace growth, monetization, take-rate dynamics, and practical operator playbooks.
Hobbies
Outdoor recreation / RV travel and marketplace-focused experiments (consistent with long history at Outdoorsy and interest in outdoor marketplaces). sharetribe+1
Notes
RBRajiv Balasaid that if they were raising a fund or looking for a partner,
CGColin Gardiner
would be one of their first calls as a GP or LP.Nov 11, 2025
SSSameer Singhsaid
CGColin Gardiner
is someone they consider exceptionally insightful in their work as a GP or LP.Nov 11, 2025
MRMitra Ramansaid that if they were building a tech startup in Austin,
CGColin Gardiner
would be among their top choices for a VC partner.Oct 6, 2025
CMChris McCormacksaid that if they were advising a company in B2B SaaS, they would recommend reaching out to
CGColin Gardiner
as an angel investor.Sep 28, 2025
GMGreg McConnellsaid
CGColin Gardiner
has made a real difference in the success of pre-seed or seed-stage startups they’re aware of.Sep 22, 2025
SSSameer Singhsaid they've seen
CGColin Gardiner
make a big, positive impact on a product as an advisor or investor.Sep 2, 2025