How Facebook Marketplace got started

Some of the biggest moves in the business world fly under the radar, even as they have a massive impact on organizations and society. While celebrity CEOs like Elon Musk make international headlines, Deb Liu never made the front pages when she launched Facebook Marketplace. Regardless, her efforts changed the way many people buy and sell.

Interestingly enough, Liu first pitched integrating commerce into Facebook during a job interview with the social media titan in 2009. Liu landed the job, but the commerce idea failed to gain traction for five years. Nevertheless, she persisted, and the project slowly snowballed.

Meanwhile, Liu helped set up the company’s Credits program, which people could use to play video games. She also worked on the Facebook Platform, which enables developers to use Facebook data to build applications and services.

Ultimately, Liu approached her time at Facebook with the mindset of an entrepreneur. She continued to pursue her vision for integrating commerce, and in 2016, Facebook Marketplace launched.

The rest is history. Facebook Marketplace drummed up $26 billion in revenue in 2021, and Meta says that a billion shoppers use the platform every month. These days, folks use Facebook Marketplace to run virtual garage sales or clear vehicles out of their garage.

As for Deb Liu, she left Meta in 2021 to pursue new ventures. She is the CEO of Ancestry.com, the world’s largest for-profit genealogy company. She also serves on the boards of business software firm Intuit and the nonprofit organization Women in Product, which encourages women to get involved in product management and development.