Local service Marketplaces in ASEAN are solving a problem in reverse.
The assumption is that there are transparency issues with regard to local services like plumbing and other general contracting work.
That is the symptom of a root problem.
The root problem startups are trying to solve is not transparency or lack of availability.
Everywhere in major metropolitan areas in ASEAN cities like Kuala Lumpur and Manila you will see billboards plastered with ads for plumbers and cleaners.
The startups need to solve Trust, which is a much larger conundrum then matchmaking service providers and consumers.
Trust is what stops us from leaving the keys for the plumbers and cleaners before we head off to work.
This lack of Trust has created huge inefficiencies in the overall economy, workers have to stay home to let plumbers in and watch them as they work instead of contributing to the company.
Trust is not exactly an easy issue to solve with apps and algorithms, it is about human connections and relationship building.
Trusted Company based out of Kuala Lumpur is making some headway in that direction with their trust rating for online merchants and companies.
Recomn.com also based out of Kuala Lumpur is making headway in terms of service provider trust ratings.
However the market for the creation and maintenance of Trust is vast, with many applications throughout almost every vertical in ASEAN, and a great deal of work remains to be done.
