The Share Economy Is Failing:Abort or Retry?

Sharing is not new• Libraries• Used clothing/toy sales• Frag Swaps• TimeShares• Cars• Houses

What Is New: Peer-to-Peer Economy

• Reach - in terms of people served• Growth - Companies can form and immediately scale• Seamlessness - easier transactions, lowered barriers to entry• Impact - Reliance on public goods/public spaces without first participating

in a public dialogue.

Base Requirements of P2P Platform1. Supply: Sizable, searchable inventory 2. Demand: a customer base for that inventory3. Transaction layer that enables:

a. Secure payment b. Trustworthy Delivery c. Comprehensive Insurance

Requirements for Sustainability• Redress of grievances – e.g. Ratings of service providers/service users• Communication/cooperation with appropriate government agencies – to

protect public goods, spaces, and interests• Lifecycle support for employees – e.g. ability to turn “job” into “career”, or at

least “gig” into “job.”

Benefits of P2P Economy1. More efficient allocation of resources

– Homes, cars, food, time

2. Lowers barriers to entering markets (MicroEntrepreneurs)– Pop-up restaurants that require no buildings; rideshares that require no medalions.

3. Enables work/life balance (as worker's needs change)– Lawyers, writers, chefs can go join share economy and make their own hours

4. Creates an access-based rather than an owner-based economy– People can trade management skills for all the privileges of ownership: plan shopping/errands and pay

dollars a month for a car rather than hundreds of dollars.

Five Problems of P2P Economy• A host of –isms: racism,

sexism, ageism;• The changing of incentives

for owners and of expectations for public spaces and public goods;

• Increased uncertainty for individuals and families;

• Lack of benefits (e.g. insurance); and

• Pitting professionals vs. freelancers

A Host of –isms.

New Incentives for Owners

Increased, Widespread Uncertainty

Lack of Benefits

Professionals vs. Freelancers

Building a Better P2P Economy

Explore Alternate business models

Cooperate with Governments

Think systemically

Questions?