The role of community builders for startups in the sharing Economy

The sharing economy has become a big deal in the past couple of years, and will continue to grow until it undermines capitalism the way we know it. Right now, even though experts think that we’re still in the infancy of really understanding the potential of this concept, there is a boom in both interest and participation. In addition, the way that we use space is also changing, instead of being privatized; it’s being used more collaboratively.

What is the Sharing Economy?

The sharing economy is an economic model in which individuals are able to borrow or rent assets owned by someone else. This model is mostly used when the price of a particular asset is high and the asset is not fully utilized all the time. Central to the sharing economy are the two-sided marketplace communities that must be built to facilitate collaborative consumption. During a meeting panel of community builders identified seven key points about the present and future particularly related to the role of community builders to enhance and develop the sharing economy.

1. The sharing economy is (or at least should be) about human connection.
2. In many ways, these systems may be more trustworthy than the traditional ones they’re disrupting.
3. When considering starting a sharing economy startup, you have to consider the risk/reward balance.
4. You need to figure out what side of your community to focus most of your time on.
5. Nurturing your super-users is the best recipe for success.
6. There’s no silver bullet for engaging this audience – just elbow grease and experimentation.
7. Community is a delicate balance, even when you reach scale.

As more startups use our phones and computers to bring us closer together, savvy companies are leveraging technology to help individuals turn their assets into income through the sharing economy. Criticism of the sharing economy often involves regulatory uncertainty. Businesses offering rental services are often regulated by federal, state or local authorities; unlicensed individuals offering rental services may not be following these regulations or paying the associated costs, giving them an "unfair" advantage that enables them to charge lower prices More and more technology entrants are developing the sharing economy after figuring our how to monetize sharing behaviors in different sectors. By definition, when you receive money to "share" something, you are no longer sharing, you are selling. Would the employees of sharing technology companies still show up to work for free if the dollar lost its purchasing power? Would for-profit businesses continue to incur operational costs for the 'good of sharing' if the incentive to do so was lost? We will have to turn to one another to share resources efficiently. That means the role of community builders will become ever-more vital to the economy as a whole.

Bibliography

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sharing-economy.asp#ixzz3l2bMOB76

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/070815/sharing-economy-startups-road-success.asp#ixzz3k7nkChrs
http://venturebeat.com/2015/06/04/the-sharing-economy-has-created-17-billion-dollar-companies-and-10-unicorns/
http://www.shareable.net/blog/differentiating-the-anarchy-economy-from-the-sharing-economy
http://cmxhub.com/7-lessons-on-building-community-in-the-sharing-economy-from-lyft-storefront-yerdle-and-boatbound/

Posted by: Eurocultura