PAMETNA HRVATSKA Mateo Puhalović i Sanja Jerković, powered by JANAF

Guest Mateo Puhalović i Sanja JerkovićHosted by Boris ŽivkovićMay 3, 2026

Mateo Puhalović i Sanja Jerković

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

The idea of renting items from strangers might seem counterintuitive at first glance. Mateo Puhalović and Sanja Jerković, founders of Rentij, are building a peer-to-peer platform that makes it not just intuitive, but a practical alternative to buying. They're betting on a generation that values access over ownership, from cameras for a single project to board games for a casual evening. Their approach reveals how a simple online classifieds model can evolve into a dynamic sharing economy, addressing both convenience and the desire for sustainable consumption. Puhalović and Jerković discuss the unexpected items driving their early growth and the pragmatic decisions they've made to get a two-sided marketplace off the ground without over-engineering. Readers will consider how even the most basic peer-to-peer exchanges can uncover hidden demand, and why sometimes, the simplest payment and delivery solutions are the fastest path to validating a new market.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Rentij initially handled payments in cash, directly between users, because the founders hadn't yet formalized their company structure. This pragmatic choice allowed them to launch quickly without building complex financial infrastructure. Sometimes, the simplest path to market validation is to offload friction to the user.

Instead of building their own logistics, Rentij began by having users arrange item pickup and delivery themselves, much like a traditional classifieds site. This allowed them to defer a complex operational challenge until demand justified it. You don't need a custom delivery fleet on day one; you need a way for items to move.

Board games emerged as Rentij's most popular rental category, a surprise to the founders who found users called the idea 'genius'. The most active part of your marketplace might not be the one you predicted, but the one that sparks genuine delight and conversation. Pay attention to the 'genius' comments, not just the usage numbers.

Rentij's founders designed their platform for specific age groups—younger users seeking rentals, slightly older ones offering items—and found the actual user base matched their projections exactly. When your initial market segmentation proves accurate, it validates the core assumptions about who needs your product. Trust your early insights when they hold up in practice.

While Rentij primarily uses a per-day pricing model, the founders added an option for custom text, allowing users to specify rates like '200 kuna per week'. This flexibility covers edge cases and reveals new use patterns. Don't let rigid pricing models limit how users can define value on your platform.

Users often rent items like board games for a single day, playing for hours before returning them that same evening. This shows a strong demand for immediate, short-term access rather than extended use. Design for the single-session rental; it's a significant part of the sharing economy.

The founders note a strong interest in renting tools, like a pneumatic hammer drill, for infrequent use. For items with high purchase cost and low usage frequency, the 'rent-don't-buy' proposition is most compelling. Even if they don't drive early volume, these items define the core utility of a rental platform.

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Explore further

ScenariosBusiness challenges CardsEducational cards TimelineTopic evolution