Ecosystem Roles
While your app ecosystem may differ, marketplaces usually feature three roles:
End users
Developers
Marketplace owner
See more marketplace terminology on our Key Terms page.
End users are individuals or organizations who use the marketplace owner's core product or platform, and are likely to use the app marketplace and its apps.
We call them "users" for short.
The most common goals for end users are:
Unlocking new functionality
Enabling integration with third-party software and systems
In both cases, users are ultimately motivated to save time or money, or simply make life easier, by using apps. This can be a helpful lens to understand what users are looking for when they interact with an app marketplace.
Within an app ecosystem, end user touchpoints include:
Marketplace storefront (homepage, search and categorization, app pages)
Login process and authentication
App activation flows
​Billing flows
The homepage is the first thing users see when opening the Slack App Directory.
Developers, also known as partners, are individuals or organizations who submit apps to the marketplace.
This includes both internal developers (who work for the marketplace owner) and third-party developers, although we're usually referring to the latter when we say "developer".
The most common goals for developers are:
To gain exposure for their own products and services
To drive leads for their own products and services
To generate revenue through paid app sales on the marketplace
Within an app ecosystem, developer touchpoints include:
​App submission form
Developer dashboard (including analytics)
Related documentation and guides
Example: Zoom developer guide​
The marketplace owner is the organization responsible for launching and maintaining the app marketplace. The marketplace is used to extend the organization's core product or platform.
There's no fixed terminology, but when we say "marketplace owner", we mean all of the individuals/groups at the organization responsible for the marketplace.
This includes the stakeholders who need to buy-in to creating the app marketplace, the internal developers who are responsible for it, and the other team members (such as the marketplace administrators) who run it day-to-day.
The most common goals for marketplace owners are discussed on the previous page:
Expanding product functionality
Revenue growth
Meeting industry expectations
Differentiation
Within an app ecosystem, the marketplace owner's touchpoints include:
​Reviewing app submissions
Creating app categories and collections
Moderating end user ratings/reviews and comments
