{"id":77497,"date":"2026-01-10T05:43:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T05:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/ecommerce-success-with-fractional-talent\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T03:02:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T03:02:37","slug":"ecommerce-success-with-fractional-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/ecommerce-success-with-fractional-talent\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecommerce Success with Fractional Talent"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

In his previous appearance on the podcast, in November 2022, Jai Dolwani was the CMO of a wine subscription company that would shortly declare bankruptcy. It was his third struggling startup, he says, prompting \u201cserious self-reflection.\u201d<\/p>\n

The result? He pivoted to entrepreneurship and launched The Starters, a marketplace for fractional ecommerce talent, in late 2023. The company has thrived, having attracted more than 600 freelancers and 500 client brands.<\/p>\n

In our recent conversation, Jai addressed the demand for e-commerce talent, tips for hiring freelancers, and plans for 2026 and beyond.<\/p>\n

Our entire audio is embedded below. The transcript is edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n

Eric Bandholz: <\/strong>Tell us what you do.<\/p>\n

Jai Dolwani:<\/strong> I\u2019m the founder of The Starters, a company that helps ecommerce brands access top-tier fractional talent through a curated, vetted marketplace. We connect brands with experienced marketers, creatives, and technologists \u2014 professionals who\u2019ve helped build some of the world\u2019s best companies \u2014 so they can hire flexibly and efficiently.<\/p>\n

Before that, I was CMO at Winc, a wine subscription company. We had recently gone public, but behind the scenes, the business struggled. A few weeks after my last conversation<\/a> with you, Winc declared bankruptcy and was later acquired. I was offered a role, but it marked my third startup in a row that failed financially, prompting serious self-reflection.<\/p>\n

I questioned whether it was bad luck or my own shortcomings. Ultimately, I decided I needed full ownership of outcomes and became an entrepreneur. I bootstrapped<\/a> the business with a $5,000 personal investment, and it\u2019s grown steadily since. My mission now is twofold: help freelancers find meaningful, flexible work and help ecommerce brands build lean, efficient, and profitable organizations.<\/p>\n

Bandholz:<\/strong> You\u2019re building a two-sided marketplace. How did you attract talent early and create traction?<\/p>\n

Dolwani:<\/strong> From day one, my philosophy was to attract the best talent first, and brands will follow. Brands are always on the hunt for top talent. To do that, we built what I believe is the most talent-friendly marketplace in the industry.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t charge freelancers a commission. Unlike platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr, 100% of what freelancers bill goes directly to them. We offer private profiles. Many top performers already have jobs and don\u2019t want a public marketplace profile visible to employers, so access is limited to vetted brands. We also avoid the race to the bottom. Most marketplaces become transactional and price-driven, with median rates of $10 to $15 per hour. We stay highly curated and vetted, focusing on strategic fit over cost.<\/p>\n

As a result, talent on our platform competes on expertise, not price. The median rate is about $90 per hour, reflecting quality and outcomes. We\u2019ve attracted executives from nine-figure companies and world-class specialists who would never join typical freelance platforms.<\/p>\n

Early on, it was hard \u2014 sourcing and onboarding the first freelancers myself. Over time, intense experiences generated word of mouth among freelancers and brands.<\/p>\n

Bandholz:<\/strong> If talent keeps 100%, how does your business make money?<\/p>\n

Dolwani:<\/strong> We monetize exclusively on the brand side. Brands pay $295 per month to access the platform and hire talent through us. We charge the fee upfront, before they can view or contact freelancers, which ensures high intent. If a brand isn\u2019t satisfied or we can\u2019t meet its needs, we refund the fee.<\/p>\n

This model is fair and straightforward. We\u2019re not trying to build a billion-dollar, venture-backed company. We\u2019re bootstrapped, and the pricing reflects the value we provide while allowing freelancers to keep 100% of their rates.<\/p>\n

Payments to freelancers go through Stripe. We never touch that money \u2014 funds move directly from the brand to the freelancer. We orchestrate the experience and facilitate the connection, while the working relationship remains direct.<\/p>\n

Most of our clients are ecommerce brands earning $1\u201310 million that need support but aren\u2019t ready for full-time hires, though we also help pre-launch and nine-figure companies.<\/p>\n

Bandholz: <\/strong>How do brands work with talent on your platform, and what types of expertise can they access?<\/p>\n

Dolwani:<\/strong> Engagements are flexible and depend on what the brand and freelancer agree on, but I recommend a clear progression. Start with a small, capped hourly trial\u2014about 5 hours\u2014to evaluate quality. If the work doesn\u2019t impress you immediately, it likely won\u2019t improve. After that, work together for one to two months on an hourly basis, with a cap, to understand the output, speed, and communication.<\/p>\n

Once expectations are clear and things are working well, shifting to a monthly retainer makes sense. Retainers reduce time tracking and keep everyone focused on outcomes rather than hours.<\/p>\n

We now have just over 600 vetted professionals on the platform. Our core strengths are marketing, creative, and technology \u2014 everything from media buyers and fractional CMOs to designers, creative directors, Shopify developers, and heads of data and analytics. We\u2019ve recently expanded into operations, product development, supply chain, finance<\/a>, and retail expansion for consumer package brands, with more growth planned for 2026.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve succeeded at our initial goal of helping ecommerce brands access better fractional talent than they\u2019d find elsewhere. But the world is changing. As AI reduces the need for human execution, the value shifts away from task completion toward specialized knowledge and better decision-making.<\/p>\n

Companies will win because they have deeper human insight guiding strategy. That\u2019s where I see us going. Beyond a freelancer marketplace, we\u2019re building a home for ecommerce expertise.<\/p>\n

That means making knowledge accessible through courses, guides, webinars, live Q&As, consulting calls, and ongoing advisory relationships \u2014 hiring being just one option. Long-term, we hope The Starters becomes a destination for ecommerce brands to build their \u201chuman advantage\u201d to create differentiated strategies and win.<\/p>\n

Bandholz:<\/strong> Where can people follow you? Hire some freelancers?<\/p>\n

Dolwani: <\/strong>Our site is Hirethestarters.com<\/a>. I\u2019m on X<\/a> and LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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