3 unexpected things that $9 billion Stripe discovered about why Lyft, GoFundMe and other online 'marketplaces' are so different

Seller retention is one of the most important factors in growing revenue, Stripe found.

Increasing seller retention by just 1 percentage point predicts 10 times more revenue than when buyer retention increases by 1 percentage point, according to the research.

This means that one of the most high-impact moves a platform can make is to add seller benefits, Gaybrick said.

One example of this is instant payment. Stripe found that 55% of sellers in marketplaces would switch to a competitor just to be able to get paid instantly.

With that in mind, the company built an instant payment feature for Lyft, which enables drivers to get paid for rides as soon as they are completed.

"If you're an Uber driver and you could go to Lyft and get paid faster, that's enough to make that switch."

Stripe's research disproved the conventional wisdom that the first to market will own the business.

"Late comers move just as fast as the first movers," Gaybrick said.

Stripe found that while first movers often capture initial market share, that's not enough to maintain their lead unless they make further investments in the platform that keep them on top.

Stripe thinks this is because marketplaces aren't exclusive, and many of the sellers that provide services on one app also provide services on other competing apps. Buyers can also test out multiple competing apps at no cost to themselves, and make a decision based off of which they like best.