Disclaimer: This is a conceptual case study created independently for educational purposes. It is not associated with or endorsed by Whatnot.
The Challenge
Conceptualize a live food marketplace inspired by Whatnot’s approach to live shopping.
Every day, millions of people watch food videos that make them hungry, yet they can't actually taste what they see. It could represent an exciting opportunity space for a platform like Whatnot.
Problem Framing & Mission Alignment
Most recipe or wellness apps focus on content. A platform like Whatnot could focus on commerce through connection.
Whatnot's publicly stated mission to help people turn their passion into business through live commerce aligns naturally with food creators who want to share not just how they cook, but what they cook.
Imagine this: you're watching your favorite local chef stream their signature ramen bowl live. You see the noodles tossed, the broth simmer, the toppings land, and minutes later, that same dish arrives at your door. Fresh, personal, and made by a niche chef you just watched in action.
GOAL: Explore how a platform like Whatnot could deepen platform engagement through interactive food experiences, unlock a new monetization stream (e.g., 8% commission), and position it as the place where food meets fandom and commerce.
Stakeholders
| Stakeholder | Role / Value |
|---|---|
| Chefs & Food Creators | Stream dishes, engage fans, and sell live. |
| Viewers & Consumers | Watch, bid, and order food in real time. |
| Delivery Partners | Handle last-mile fulfillment (DoorDash, Uber Eats, local couriers). |
| Regulatory & Compliance Teams | Ensure safety, permits, and health-code adherence. |
| Platform Teams | Product, Trust & Safety, and Marketing — enabling experience and monetization. |
Chosen Stakeholder: Chefs and Food Creators
Prioritization Criteria: TAM, Impact & Engagement, Mission Alignment
Chefs and Food Creators power both content and commerce, anchoring the entire ecosystem. They bring credibility, emotional connection, and the ability to turn passion into business.
Segments
| Segment | Progress they are trying to make |
|---|---|
| Professional Chefs | Functional: They want to extend their restaurant's reach and monetize their signature dishes beyond physical space. Emotional: Pride in craftsmanship, ownership of brand identity. Social: Want recognition, credibility, and influence among food enthusiasts. |
| Home Cooks | Functional: They want an easy way to sell what they cook locally and connect with people who appreciate homemade food. Emotional: Validation that their cooking is valued and loved. Social: Build small circles of loyal supporters and friends. |
| Culinary Students | Functional: They want to gain exposure and early income while still learning. Emotional: Confidence and mentorship through real-world engagement. Social: Entry into professional chef and creator networks. |
If more than one, pick one
Chosen Segment: Professional Chefs
Prioritization criteria: TAM, Alignment with Whatnot's Mission, Underserved Need
| User Segment | Market Size (TAM) | Impact & Engagement | Feasibility & Readiness | Mission Alignment | Overall Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Chefs | Large: established restaurants, pop-ups, and influencer chefs with loyal audiences. | High: credible voices drive trust, engagement, and retention. | High: licensed, operational, and delivery-ready. | Excellent: fully embodies "passion → business." | High |
| Home Cooks | Medium: fragmented, local creators. | Moderate: strong enthusiasm but smaller reach. | Low: verification and food safety hurdles. | Good: passion-driven but less scalable. | Mid |
| Culinary Students | Small: limited to institutions or early career. | Low: low audience influence and buying power. | Medium: dependent on institutional coordination. | Moderate: still learning, not yet commercially viable. | Low |
Rationale for Choosing: Professional Chefs
I will choose Professional Chefs, based on our rationale across the Total Addressable Market (TAM), alignment, and underserved need.
High TAM & Frequency: They bring the largest market, established restaurants, pop-ups, and influencer chefs with loyal audiences who already trust their brand. They create content regularly and have existing customer bases ready to convert.
Mission Alignment: They perfectly embody Whatnot's mission to help people turn passion into business. Their need is underserved: there's no platform today that combines live streaming, social interaction, and instant food commerce seamlessly.
Why did you kill your darlings?/ Why not others?
Home Cooks: Strong enthusiasm but smaller reach and face verification and food safety hurdles. Passion-driven but less scalable.
- Trade-off: By not choosing them, we lose the grassroots, hyper-local charm of homemade food, but gain commercial viability and trust.
Culinary Students: Limited audience influence and buying power. Still learning, not yet commercially viable.
- Trade-off: By not choosing them, we miss the opportunity to nurture emerging talent, but we prioritize proven creators who can drive immediate engagement and revenue.
Obstacles
Brainstorm Obstacles
I hate that…
- I share my dish online but no one can actually taste it.
- I waste extra portions that could delight someone.
- My food is only available to a few who can afford high-end dining.
Pick one or more obstacles to focus on.
Clearly explain your rationale for picking the obstacle:
Prioritization criteria: Intensity of need & Mission alignment
I will prioritize obstacle #1: "I share my dish online but no one can actually taste it."
Intensity of need: For Professional Chefs, this is a constant frustration. They pour heart and soul into their craft, share it on social media, and receive countless comments and likes, but those interactions don't translate into real business. They want their food to be experienced, not just admired.
Mission alignment: This obstacle perfectly aligns with Whatnot's mission. Turning admiration into transaction creates a new revenue stream for creators and transforms passive viewers into paying customers. It's commerce powered by connection.
Underserved: No major platform today bridges the gap between watching and tasting. Instagram and TikTok let you share, but not sell instantly. DoorDash and UberEats deliver, but don't create the live, interactive experience. This is a white space that Whatnot can uniquely fill.
Solutions
Brainstorm Up to three solutions
Focus on explaining how the user uses the solution rather than the technology
1. Live Food Marketplace (Chosen)
Chefs livestream their dishes, list limited portions ("4 bowls left!"), and viewers bid or order instantly. Integrated local delivery partnerships. "Follow the Chef" button for repeat fans. Verified Chef badges for trust. Turns viewing into tasting.
How it works (user flow):
- Chef goes live, showcasing a signature dish being prepared in real time.
- Viewers watch, interact via chat, and see limited availability ("Only 3 portions left!").
- They tap "Order Now" or place a bid.
- Local delivery partners (DoorDash, UberEats, or local couriers) pick up and deliver within 30–60 minutes.
- Viewers can follow their favorite chefs and get notified when they go live again.
2. Chef's Pre-Order Drops
Weekly limited-edition dish drops that create anticipation and repeat engagement. Chefs announce upcoming dishes in advance, viewers pre-order, and pick up or receive delivery on drop day.
How it works:
- Chef announces next week's special dish on their profile.
- Fans pre-order and pay upfront.
- On drop day, dishes are prepared fresh and delivered or available for pickup.
- Creates anticipation and guarantees sales for the chef.
3. Cook-Along Livestreams
Creators sell ingredient kits or virtual seats for live cooking sessions, blending entertainment with education. Viewers cook along in real time, learning techniques while building community.
How it works:
- Chef announces a cook-along session.
- Viewers purchase ingredient kits or virtual seats.
- During the live session, chef teaches techniques, answers questions, and creates a shared cooking experience.
- Builds deeper connections and recurring revenue through classes.
Pick one solution
Clearly explain your rationale for picking the solution
Prioritization criteria - Impact on the segment & Feasible, Differentiation
I will choose Live Food Marketplace because it directly addresses the frustration of our chosen segment, Professional Chefs.
Impact on the segment: Chefs want their food to be tasted, not just admired. The Live Food Marketplace turns every livestream into a revenue opportunity. It transforms viewers into customers instantly, creating emotional satisfaction ("people are tasting my creation") and commercial success (immediate monetization).
Feasibility: Whatnot already has the core infrastructure for live streaming, chat, and payments. Partnering with existing delivery platforms (DoorDash, UberEats) makes last-mile logistics feasible without building from scratch.
Differentiation: Competitors like Instagram focus on content, and DoorDash focuses on delivery, but none combine live interaction with instant ordering. This makes Whatnot uniquely positioned to own the intersection of food, fandom, and commerce.
Why did you kill your darlings?/ Why not others?
- Pre-Order Drops create anticipation but lack the live, spontaneous magic that drives engagement. It also lacks the fear of missing out emotion.
- Cook-Along Livestreams are educational and fun but serve a smaller niche (people willing to cook) rather than the broader market of viewers who want to order and eat.
Success Signals & Metrics
North Star Metric: Stream-to-purchase conversion rate (> 35%).
Secondary Metrics:
- Average watch time per session (+25% MoM).
- Repeat purchase or reorder rate (> 40%).
- Average revenue per live session (+20% MoM).
- Net Promoter Score (chefs + viewers) (> 60).
Closing Note
Food is universal as it connects people faster than words.
When someone says, "I saw it, ordered it, and tasted it, all live," that's more than engagement. That's commerce powered by connection, and passion transformed into livelihood.
By solving the gap between admiration and access with a Live Food Marketplace, a platform like Whatnot could transform passive viewers into paying customers and help chefs turn every livestream into a revenue opportunity. What was once just content becomes connection, community, and commerce, fully aligned with Whatnot's publicly stated mission of helping people turn their passion into business.