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The sharing economy started as a monetization of underutilized assets, which is different and useful. Then through economies of scale people became dedicated s

by bduerst 10y ago

The sharing economy started as a monetization of underutilized assets, which is different and useful. Then through economies of scale people became dedicated suppliers with dedicated assets, and it's now no longer that unique or altruistic.

IanCal 10y ago
How is that different from normal trading? Swapping something you don't need much for something you do, while your trading partner does the same. It's always been done, but some players (ebay for example) made it a bit easier. "Pay people for stuff more easily" doesn't sound as new and trendy as "the sharing economy" though.
- bduerst 10y ago
  The difference is that ebay only deals in assets for sale. The shared economy is more about services for assets that are underutilized.
  - IanCal 10y ago
    I really don't understand how this is any different from regular trading. I've been able to pay people by the hour for jobs for a long time. I've been able to find small flatshares (for short periods too) in the past. AirBNB are different, but the way I think that they're different is not what most people think. The thing they solved which was a real problem was insurance. Sure, there's a site for booking, some scheduling and payment transfer but they're not really key. It's the fact I can go to someone's house and say "Someone has checked my identity and here's a guarantee that if I break/steal things you'll get reimbursed" that smooths over the risks. Uber, in the UK, is virtually identical to other taxi firms.
    - bduerst 10y ago
      AirBnB, Uber, Lyft, etc. are all using assets that were not intended for paid services, whereas the people you are paying for services are using assets that have such intention. The shared economy is (or was) more about accessing assets that were locked up by personal use, but still being underutilized. From an ethical perspective, it's maximizing value from something that wasn't easily accessible before.

by bduerst 10y ago

IanCal 10y ago

How is that different from normal trading? Swapping something you don't need much for something you do, while your trading partner does the same. It's always been done, but some players (ebay for example) made it a bit easier. "Pay people for stuff more easily" doesn't sound as new and trendy as "the sharing economy" though.

bduerst 10y ago
The difference is that ebay only deals in assets for sale. The shared economy is more about services for assets that are underutilized.
- IanCal 10y ago
  I really don't understand how this is any different from regular trading. I've been able to pay people by the hour for jobs for a long time. I've been able to find small flatshares (for short periods too) in the past. AirBNB are different, but the way I think that they're different is not what most people think. The thing they solved which was a real problem was insurance. Sure, there's a site for booking, some scheduling and payment transfer but they're not really key. It's the fact I can go to someone's house and say "Someone has checked my identity and here's a guarantee that if I break/steal things you'll get reimbursed" that smooths over the risks. Uber, in the UK, is virtually identical to other taxi firms.
  - bduerst 10y ago
    AirBnB, Uber, Lyft, etc. are all using assets that were not intended for paid services, whereas the people you are paying for services are using assets that have such intention. The shared economy is (or was) more about accessing assets that were locked up by personal use, but still being underutilized. From an ethical perspective, it's maximizing value from something that wasn't easily accessible before.