Usta (Turkish: "master craftsman") is the first platform combining TikTok's ease, Instagram's social features, LinkedIn's professional value, Masterclass's expert learning, and Duolingo's gamification into one seamless experience for skilled professionals.
By enabling Master Ustas to create trend-based skill challenges with guided recording templates, we remove the creative pressure from portfolio building. Users simply follow the trending challenges, record their version using step-by-step guides, and get validated by professionals—building a credible portfolio automatically.
Skilled professionals in the US
Opportunity across networking + recruitment + training
For users, monetize through job board & premium features
Seed round to reach 100K users in 18 months
$50B+ market serving 50M+ skilled professionals
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
| Professional Category | US Market Size |
|---|---|
| Skilled Trades (welding, electrical, plumbing, carpentry) | 15M |
| Creative Professionals (photo, video, writing, art) | 12M |
| Healthcare Professionals (nurses, techs, specialists) | 10M |
| Tech Professionals (developers, designers, IT) | 8M |
| Business Professionals (sales, marketing, consulting) | 8M |
| Others (fitness, beauty, music, education) | 5M |
| Culinary Professionals (chefs, cooks, bakers) | 2M |
| Total US Skilled Professionals | 50M+ |
| Global Market | 200M+ |
US tech-savvy professionals (18-45)
Addressable market value: $25B
0.3% of SAM
13% of SAM
Market Growth Drivers
- 8% CAGR in professional skills training
- 15% growth in online learning platforms
- 40% increase in video-based education
- Network effects accelerate growth exponentially as community grows
A $12B gap in the professional skills market
For Professionals:
For Employers:
- Can't assess real skills - Resumes show claims, not proof of abilities
- Expensive recruitment - $3-5K per hire, 45+ days to fill positions
- High turnover - 73% leave in first year due to skill mismatch
- Time-consuming - Must review hundreds of resumes manually
- No skill verification - Can't trust self-reported claimed abilities
Market Gap: $12B spent annually on recruitment, training, and professional networking across skilled industries—with no platform that combines easy portfolio creation, social networking, professional validation, expert learning, and daily practice.
Trend-based skill challenges remove creative pressure
Core Innovation: Master Ustas create skill challenges with guided templates. Users follow the template to demonstrate skills. No creative pressure, just prove ability.
How It Works:
- Master Usta posts #WeldingBasics challenge
- Shows perfect technique in 60 seconds
- Includes recording guide: "Shot 1: Setup, Shot 2: Weld, Shot 3: Result"
- Users tap "Try This Challenge"
- App guides them through exact same shots
- Users record their version
- Post & get validated by professionals
- Skill automatically added to portfolio
- Earn XP, level up, build credibility
For Users (FREE):
For Employers (PREMIUM):
- Verified Skill Search - Find candidates with proven abilities
- Portfolio Review - See actual work, not just claims
- Direct Messaging - Connect with qualified candidates instantly
- Job Posting - Target specific skills and experience levels
- Skill Analytics - See validation scores and peer recognition
Multiple revenue streams with strong unit economics
Revenue Streams:
| Revenue Stream | Target Market | Pricing | Year 5 Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job Board (Employer Access) | 10K+ companies | $299-999/month | $24M (60%) |
| Premium Subscriptions | Professional users | $19.99/month | $8M (20%) |
| Expert Courses | Master Ustas | $49-199 (30% cut) | $5M (13%) |
| Advertising | Tool/Equipment brands | CPM model | $3M (7%) |
| Total Year 5 Revenue | $40M | ||
Unit Economics:
Organic + paid marketing
Based on 3-year retention
Exceptional unit economics
Fast capital recovery
Culinary-first approach, then expand to other trades
Phase 1: Culinary Beta (Months 1-6)
- Target: 5,000 culinary professionals
- Strategy: Partner with 25 master chefs to create first challenges
- Tactics: Trade school partnerships, culinary Instagram influencers, chef communities
- Goal: Prove concept, refine product, generate testimonials
Phase 2: Construction & Manufacturing (Months 7-12)
- Target: 15,000 skilled trades (welding, electrical, carpentry)
- Strategy: Leverage culinary success, recruit master craftspeople
- Tactics: Trade associations, vocational schools, LinkedIn outreach
- Goal: 20,000 total users, 50+ Master Ustas
Phase 3: Multi-Industry Expansion (Months 13-18)
- Target: 100,000 users across 10+ industries
- Strategy: Scale marketing, enable employer job postings
- Tactics: Paid acquisition, PR, employer partnerships
- Goal: Achieve product-market fit across multiple verticals
Growth Channels:
Viral skill videos on TikTok, Instagram
Master Ustas bring their followers
Schools, associations, employers
Facebook, Google, LinkedIn targeting
No direct competitor offers our complete solution
| Platform | Video Skills | Validation | Gamification | Job Board | Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usta | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| ❌ | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ | ✅ | Text-only, not visual | |
| Indeed/ZipRecruiter | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Job boards, no portfolios |
| Dribbble/Behance | ⚠️ Static | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Design only, no trades |
| TikTok/Instagram | ✅ | ❌ | ⚠️ Views | ❌ | Not professional-focused |
| Udemy/Coursera | ⚠️ Courses | ⚠️ Certs | ❌ | ❌ | Learning, no portfolios |
Our Moat: We're the only platform that combines video-first skill demonstration, peer validation, gamified practice, guided challenges, and direct employer access into one seamless experience.
18-month plan to 100K users
Q1-Q2 2025: MVP & Culinary Beta
- ✅ Core video feed & challenge system
- ✅ User profiles & portfolios
- ✅ Validation & XP system
- 🔄 Guided recording templates
- 🔄 Master Usta tools
- 🔄 Mobile-optimized experience
Q3 2025: Scale & Employer Access
- Job posting system
- Employer search & filtering
- Direct messaging
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Community features (groups, events)
- Push notifications & engagement
Q4 2025: Monetization & Growth
- Premium subscriptions launch
- Employer job board packages
- Master Usta course platform
- Native mobile apps (iOS & Android)
- Advanced skill trees & progression
- Referral & invite system
Q1-Q2 2026: Scale & Optimization
- Multi-industry expansion
- Advanced recommendation engine
- Team/company accounts
- Certification partnerships
- Video analytics & insights
- International launch planning
Scalable, modern infrastructure for 100K+ users
Architecture: Mobile-first, cloud-native platform built for scale. Supporting millions of users, videos, and real-time interactions with 99.9% uptime.
Frontend - Mobile Apps (iOS & Android)
| Component | Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | React Native 0.72+ | Cross-platform mobile development |
| Language | TypeScript | Type-safe development |
| State Management | Redux Toolkit + RTK Query | Global state & API calls |
| Navigation | React Navigation 6 | App navigation & routing |
| Video Player | react-native-video | Video playback in feed |
| Camera | react-native-camera | In-app video recording |
| Push Notifications | Firebase Cloud Messaging | Real-time user notifications |
Frontend - Web App
| Component | Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | Next.js 14+ (App Router) | SEO-optimized web application |
| Language | TypeScript | Type-safe development |
| Styling | Tailwind CSS | Modern, responsive design |
| Deployment | Vercel | Edge-optimized hosting |
Backend - API Server
| Component | Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | Flask 3.0+ (Python) | RESTful API server |
| Language | Python 3.11+ | Backend development |
| ORM | SQLAlchemy 2.0+ | Database abstraction |
| Authentication | JWT + PyJWT | User authentication |
| Server | Gunicorn | Production WSGI server |
| Deployment | Railway / AWS ECS | Scalable container hosting |
Database & Storage
| Component | Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Database | PostgreSQL 15+ (AWS RDS) | Relational data storage |
| Cache Layer | Redis 7+ (ElastiCache) | Fast reads, sessions, real-time |
| Search Engine | Elasticsearch 8+ | Fast, relevant search |
| File Storage | AWS S3 | Video & image storage |
| CDN | AWS CloudFront | Global content delivery |
Video Infrastructure
Real-Time & Services
- WebSockets: Socket.io (live notifications, real-time updates)
- Push Notifications: Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)
- Analytics: Mixpanel (product analytics)
- Error Tracking: Sentry (crash reporting)
- Payments: Stripe (subscriptions, job postings)
- Email: SendGrid (transactional emails)
Infrastructure & Hosting
Complete ecosystem, scalable
Consistent deployment
Automated testing & deployment
Infrastructure monitoring
Scalability Architecture
- Phase 1 (0-10K users): Single server, basic infrastructure - $500/month
- Phase 2 (10K-100K users): Auto-scaling, read replicas - $2,000/month
- Phase 3 (100K-1M users): Multi-server, caching clusters - $10,000/month
- Phase 4 (1M+ users): Kubernetes, multi-region - $50,000/month
Performance Targets
95th percentile
From upload to live
Production SLA
Feed initialization
Infrastructure Costs (Year 1)
| Component | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| AWS Infrastructure (RDS, EC2, etc.) | $500 | $6,000 |
| Video Storage & CDN (S3 + CloudFront) | $1,000 | $12,000 |
| Firebase (Push, Analytics) | $200 | $2,400 |
| Mixpanel (Product Analytics) | $250 | $3,000 |
| Sentry (Error Tracking) | $100 | $1,200 |
| Development Tools | $200 | $2,400 |
| TOTAL | $2,250 | $27,500 |
Tech Stack Status: Current backend built on Flask (Python) with PostgreSQL. Mobile apps will be React Native. Full infrastructure scalable from 10K to 1M+ users. Infrastructure costs scale linearly with user growth.
Experienced founders with deep industry expertise
Matt McPherson, Founder & CEO: Culinary professional with 10+ years of experience in high-end restaurants. Built the entire Usta platform from scratch—backend API, frontend web app, database architecture, and deployment infrastructure—demonstrating both deep industry expertise and technical execution capability. Deeply understands the challenges skilled professionals face in proving abilities and advancing careers. LinkedIn: chefmattmcpherson
Advisory Board (Building):
- Culinary Expert - Michelin-star chef with 25+ years experience
- EdTech Advisor - Former executive at learning platform
- Recruitment Expert - HR leader at Fortune 500 company
- Technical Advisor - Engineering leader from social media platform
Hiring Plan (Post-Seed):
- Senior Full-Stack Engineer - Scale platform, mobile apps
- Product Designer - UX/UI, user research
- Community Manager - Master Usta relationships, engagement
- Growth Marketer - User acquisition, retention
Path to profitability and $42M ARR by Year 5
5-Year Projections:
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Users | 50K | 250K | 750K | 1.5M | 2.5M |
| Paying Employers | 100 | 1,000 | 3,000 | 6,000 | 10,000 |
| Premium Users | 1,000 | 7,500 | 30,000 | 75,000 | 125,000 |
| Revenue | $600K | $4.8M | $14.4M | $27.6M | $42M |
| Gross Margin | 65% | 72% | 78% | 82% | 85% |
| Operating Expenses | $2.1M | $4.2M | $9.6M | $16.2M | $24M |
| EBITDA | -$1.7M | -$780K | $1.6M | $6.4M | $11.7M |
Use of Funds ($1.5M Seed):
$600K - Engineering, design, mobile apps
$525K - User acquisition, partnerships
$300K - Salaries, tools, infrastructure
$75K - Contingency, opportunities
Runway: 18 months to reach 100K users and achieve product-market fit. Break-even projected in Year 3 with 750K users. Profitable in Year 4 with strong path to $42M ARR by Year 5.
Comprehensive budget to reach 250K users and $2.7M ARR
Total 2-Year Investment: $3.9M total expenditure, $2.0M net burn after $3.1M revenue. Covers product development, team growth, marketing, and infrastructure scaling.
2-Year Budget Summary
| Category | Year 1 | Year 2 | Total 2 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Development | $525,000 | $950,000 | $1,475,000 |
| Marketing & Acquisition | $450,000 | $1,200,000 | $1,650,000 |
| Team & Operations | $200,000 | $350,000 | $550,000 |
| Infrastructure & Tech | $100,000 | $150,000 | $250,000 |
| TOTAL EXPENDITURE | $1,275,000 | $2,650,000 | $3,925,000 |
| Revenue | $360,000 | $2,770,000 | $3,130,000 |
| NET BURN | -$915,000 | -$1,120,000 | -$2,035,000 |
Year 1 Budget Breakdown ($1.275M)
$525K - Engineers, designers, tools
$450K - Ads, partnerships, PR
$200K - Community, support, admin
$100K - AWS, services, tools
Year 1 Detailed Breakdown
| Item | Annual Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Product Development ($525K) | ||
| Senior Full-Stack Engineer | $140,000 | Mobile + backend development |
| Mobile Engineer (React Native) | $130,000 | iOS & Android apps |
| Frontend Engineer (Web) | $120,000 | Next.js web app |
| UI/UX Designer | $100,000 | Product design, user research |
| Engineering Tools & Services | $35,000 | GitHub, CI/CD, monitoring |
| Marketing & Acquisition ($450K) | ||
| Growth Manager | $110,000 | User acquisition strategy |
| Paid Advertising | $200,000 | Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google |
| Master Usta Partnerships | $75,000 | Content creator partnerships |
| Trade School Partnerships | $25,000 | Educational partnerships |
| PR & Content Marketing | $25,000 | Press, blog, social media |
| Events & Conferences | $15,000 | Trade shows, demos |
| Team & Operations ($200K) | ||
| Community Manager | $70,000 | Master Usta relationships |
| Customer Success | $65,000 | User support, onboarding |
| Office & Admin | $25,000 | Coworking, supplies, tools |
| Legal & Compliance | $25,000 | Incorporation, ToS, privacy |
| Accounting & Finance | $15,000 | Bookkeeping, tax prep |
| Infrastructure & Tech ($100K) | ||
| AWS Infrastructure | $36,000 | RDS, EC2, S3, CloudFront |
| Video Storage & CDN | $24,000 | S3 storage, CloudFront |
| Third-Party Services | $24,000 | Mixpanel, Sentry, Firebase, Stripe |
| Database & Search | $14,000 | PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch |
| Development Tools | $2,000 | Domains, SSL, misc tools |
Year 2 Budget Breakdown ($2.65M)
$950K - Expanded team, scaling
$1.2M - Scale paid acquisition
$350K - Additional team members
$150K - Scaled infrastructure
Team Size Progression
| Period | Team Size | Key Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Months 1-6 | 5 people | Founder, 2 Engineers, Designer, Growth |
| Months 7-12 | 8 people | + 1 Engineer, Community, Customer Success |
| Months 13-18 | 15 people | + 3 Engineers (DevOps), Designer, Marketing, Ops |
| Months 19-24 | 18 people | + 1 Engineer, QA, Customer Success |
Monthly Burn Rate
| Period | Monthly Burn | 6-Month Total |
|---|---|---|
| Months 1-6 (MVP) | $95,750 | $574,500 |
| Months 7-12 (Beta) | $116,750 | $700,500 |
| Months 13-18 (Scale) | $220,833 | $1,325,000 |
| Months 19-24 (Series A Prep) | $220,833 | $1,325,000 |
Revenue Projections
| Revenue Stream | Year 1 | Year 2 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job Board | $200,000 | $1,000,000 | 400% |
| Premium Subscriptions | $120,000 | $1,200,000 | 900% |
| Advertising | $40,000 | $300,000 | 650% |
| Learning/Courses | $0 | $150,000 | New |
| Enterprise | $0 | $120,000 | New |
| TOTAL REVENUE | $360,000 | $2,770,000 | 669% |
Key Financial Metrics (Year 2)
Paid channels (70% organic)
3-year retention
Exceptional unit economics
High-margin business
Budget Highlights: Year 1 focuses on MVP development and initial user acquisition. Year 2 scales marketing to reach 250K users and generate $2.7M ARR. Total 2-year net investment of $2.0M after revenue, positioning for Series A raise.
$1.5M seed round for 18-month runway
Use of Funds ($1.5M Seed):
$600K - Engineering, design, mobile apps
$525K - User acquisition, partnerships
$300K - Salaries, tools, infrastructure
$75K - Contingency, opportunities
18-Month Milestones:
- Month 3: MVP launch with core features
- Month 6: 10K users, culinary beta complete
- Month 12: 100K users, product-market fit achieved
- Month 15: $500K ARR, job board launched
- Month 18: Series A ready with strong metrics
Series A Target: $8-12M at 18 months with 500K users, $10M ARR, and clear path to profitability.
Proactive risk management strategy
Risk 1: Master Usta Recruitment
Risk: Can't get quality content creators to establish platform
Mitigation:
- Start with culinary vertical (easier to recruit known chefs)
- Offer revenue share (future earnings potential)
- Leverage personal relationships with influencers
- Promote top users to Master Usta status
Risk 2: User Engagement
Risk: Users sign up but don't stay active
Mitigation:
- Duolingo-style streaks and daily notifications
- Push notifications for trending challenges
- Social features (follow friends, compete)
- Clear progression paths (novice → usta → master)
Risk 3: Content Quality
Risk: Low-quality submissions hurt platform credibility
Mitigation:
- Peer validation system (professional review)
- AI moderation (filter inappropriate content)
- Clear guidelines and recording templates
- Master Usta oversight on challenges
Risk 4: Monetization Timing
Risk: Monetize too early, lose user trust
Mitigation:
- Keep core features free (like Instagram/TikTok)
- Premium is optional enhancement
- Job board doesn't affect user experience
- Wait until 100K users before heavy monetization
Risk 5: Competition
Risk: LinkedIn, TikTok, or others copy our features
Mitigation:
- Speed to market (first-mover advantage)
- Network effects (first to scale wins)
- Unique guided challenge system (hard to replicate)
- Deep vertical focus (harder for generic platforms)
How we'll measure success
User Acquisition:
Month-over-month growth (Year 1-2)
Each user invites 1.3 others
Target customer acquisition cost
Users who post first video
Engagement:
- MAU: 70% of total users (monthly active)
- DAU/MAU: 40%+ (daily active ratio)
- Time in App: 15+ minutes per session
- Challenges Completed: 2+ per week per active user
- Streak Maintenance: 30% of users with 7+ day streaks
Content & Quality:
- Videos Posted: 50K+ per month (by Year 2)
- Validation Rate: 5+ validations per video
- Challenge Participation: 100+ per trending challenge
- Master Ustas: 500+ by Year 3
Revenue Metrics:
- ARPU: $25.20 by Year 5
- Premium Conversion: 2% of MAU
- Job Conversion: 1.5% of employers
- LTV: $220 (3-year retention)
- Gross Margin: 85%+
Retention:
- Day 1 Retention: 60%
- Day 7 Retention: 40%
- Day 30 Retention: 25%
- Annual Churn: 18%
Multiple potential acquirers and exit paths
Potential Acquirers:
Professional Networks:
- LinkedIn (Microsoft): $500M-2B - Add visual skills to LinkedIn, solve "show don't tell" problem
- Meta (Instagram/Facebook): $1B-3B - Professional layer for Instagram, skills validation for Facebook Jobs
Job Platforms:
- Indeed (Recruit Holdings): $400M-1B - Video portfolios for all jobs, skill verification
- ZipRecruiter: $300M-800M - Enhanced candidate screening
Learning Platforms:
- Coursera: $200M-600M - Practice layer for courses
- Udemy: $150M-500M - Skills proof for students
Tech Giants:
- Google (YouTube + Jobs): $500M-2B - Professional skills layer for YouTube
- Microsoft (LinkedIn parent): $1B-3B - Natural fit with existing LinkedIn
Exit Timeline & Valuation:
Post-launch target
Based on comparable exits
ARR-based valuation
Per active user
Comparable Exits:
- Duolingo: $7B market cap (2023)
- Masterclass: $2.75B valuation (2021)
- Hired (dev recruiting): $500M exit to Adecco
- Handshake (student recruiting): $3.5B valuation
- Discord: $15B valuation (community platform)
Competitive advantages and market position
Defensible Moat: Network effects, content library (user-generated), validation trust (takes years to build), brand ("master craftsman" appeals universally), and community loyalty create strong competitive advantages.
Where we're headed
3-Year Vision:
Usta becomes the default professional portfolio platform
- 1M+ users across all skilled professions
- Every hiring manager checks Usta profiles
- "Usta-validated" becomes trusted credential
- International presence (5+ countries)
5-Year Vision:
Usta is the professional credential system
- 5M+ users globally
- Industry-recognized certifications
- Integrated with HR systems
- Partner with universities & companies
- Multiple revenue streams mature
10-Year Vision:
Usta redefines professional credentials
- 20M+ users worldwide
- Replaces traditional resumes
- Blockchain-verified credentials
- AI-powered skill matching
- Global standard for skill validation
Key partnerships to accelerate growth
Year 1 Targets:
- Trade Schools: 10 partnerships (pipeline of users)
- Tool Brands: 5 sponsors (Milwaukee, DeWalt, etc.)
- Industry Associations: 3 partnerships (credibility)
Year 2 Targets:
- Tech Bootcamps: 20 partnerships (Flatiron, General Assembly)
- Culinary Schools: 15 partnerships (CIA, J&W)
- Job Boards: Integration with Indeed, ZipRecruiter
- Software Companies: Adobe, AWS, Microsoft (sponsored challenges)
Year 3+:
- Universities: Credential recognition
- Corporations: Enterprise white-label
- Governments: Workforce development programs
- International: Local partnerships per country
Making a positive difference
Democratizing Professional Development:
- Free access to skill validation
- Level playing field (prove ability, not credentials)
- No degree required
- Geography-independent opportunities
Solving Skills Gap:
- Hands-on practice vs passive learning
- Real-world skills demonstrated
- Faster upskilling paths
- Clear progression from novice to master
Economic Mobility:
- Better job matching = better careers
- Skill-based hiring = more opportunity
- Portfolio accessible to all
- Side income for Master Ustas
Our Mission: Help 50 million skilled professionals prove their abilities, advance their careers, and build better lives through validated skills and opportunities.
Conclusion
Usta is positioned to become the default platform for professional skill validation, combining the best of TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Masterclass, and Duolingo into one seamless experience.
By solving the fundamental problem—"How do I prove I can do this?"—we unlock opportunity for 50 million skilled professionals while creating a $50B+ business opportunity.
Our unique guided challenge system removes creative pressure, our validation system builds credibility, and our gamification drives daily engagement. We've combined five proven models into something entirely new.
With network effects as our moat, a massive underserved market, and perfect timing, Usta is ready to transform how professionals build and showcase their skills.
🔨 The journey from novice to master craftsman starts here.
Join Us in Building the Future of Work
We're building the professional network for 50 million skilled workers who have been left behind by LinkedIn.
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