Shareconomy Live Photos and Stream

Shareconomy had it's second live event last Monday at the Impact Hub Seattle. The event featured the extended trailer, interviews and a live panel of sharing economy influencers. Check out the slideshow of photos and video of the event below.

Thank you so much to Chalkcar for livestreaming our event!

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

A huge thank you to Impact Hub Seattle for hosting and our awesome panelists for joining us! Watch the stream and let us know what you think!

Shareconomy Live: Screening, Interviews, and Panel Discussion

Come see Shareconomy Live at the Impact Hub in Seattle! Go behind the scenes of the documentary film-making process and join filmmakers Greg Westhoff and Jillian Suleski as they screen the extended trailer for their upcoming feature documentary, Shareconomy (currently in production). The trailer screening will be followed by live interviews and panel discussion about the current state of the sharing economy in Seattle, which will be filmed by the team for use in the final feature! 

Panelist include:

Andrés Monroy-Hernández is a researcher in FUSE Labs at Microsoft Research and an affiliate faculty at the University of Washington. His work focuses on the study and design of social computing systems for creative collaboration and collective action.

Kamal Patel is the co-founder of ÜbrLocal, an online social marketplace based out of Seattle for everything urban food.

Nick Licata is a Seattle City Council Member, in office since 1998. Seattle City Council has been in the sharing economy spotlight after the ride sharing regulation debates earlier this year.

Rebecca Lovell was appointed as the city of Seattle's Start-up liaison this Spring. Lovell is a start-up mentor for companies in the TechStars accelerator program and a University of Washington Foster School professor. She was also the business manager at tech news site GeekWire and program director for the Alliance of Angels.

Taylor Soper is a GeekWire staff reporter who covers a wide variety of tech assignments, including emerging startups in Seattle and Portland, the sharing economy and the intersection of technology and sports. A native of Portland, Ore., and graduate of the University of Washington, he was named a “New Journalist of the Year” by the Society of Professional Journalists.

This event is part of the final push to reach the goals of Shareconomy's indiegogo fundraising campaign! Please consider making a donation! 
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/shareconomy/x/8207649

In addition to the "inside the actors studio" ambiance that will be created with full stage lighting, microphones, and equipment, the event will be livestreamed by www.ChalkCar.com : Driving the Sharing Economy.

The event is being held at Impact Hub Seattle in Pioneer Square on Monday, September 22nd from 5:30 - 7:30pm. This event is free but RSVPs are appreciated!

Click here to view the Facebook event and here to RSVP.

Era of Meaningful Independence

The way we work in the United States is undergoing a fundamental shift. Out of the manufacturing age workers have learned the hard way that the traditional stable 9 to 5, isn't so stable. Now, independent work is giving Americans a chance to secure happiness in the work place.

via LA Times

Currently, a third of the nation's workers are freelance. This number is expected to hit 40% - 60 million people - in the next decade. LA Time's Sara Horowitz's recent piece America, Say Goodbye To The Era Of Big Work talks about why this employment shift has been a long time coming. 

“A number of factors both economic and cultural are causing the independent workforce to swell. Technological advances and globalization have greatly contributed to the erosion of traditional work arrangements. The private sector’s need for speed and adaptability is increasingly incompatible with maintaining a large, full-time workforce. And of course, the Great Recession has put to rest the notion that there is such a thing as a stable full-time job.”

Despite all these factors, it seems like the number one reason persons choose freelance work is for the flexibility. Horowitz quotes a recent survey done by oDesk who found that 89% of freelancers prefer work flexibility to a traditional corporate career. And over half of millennials prioritize job flexibility over pay. This is such a cultural shift from the era of corporate life and Horowitz believes she knows why.

“In reality, millennials tend to value experiences more than things. Their consumption habits are driven less by what kind of job they have and more by their pursuit of ever-evolving technology, brands that align with their ideals and sustainable and social purpose purchasing.”

While the government struggles to catch up with this new era of work, freelancers thrive. Check out the rest of the LA Times Article and let us know what you think. Are you considering a shift to the freelance world? And if you have already, was it worth it?

Formula For Success In The Sharing Economy

Investors are starting to take notice of the ever growing sharing economy. With a consumer peer market worth $26 billion that continues to develop the sharing economy has some serious potential. This week Raj Kapoor of TechCrunch gave us a comprehensive review of what a sharing economy start up needs to succeed. 

It seems like there are new start ups daily, especially within the shared economy. Kapoor points out that, like in other businesses, those who do best are usually scratching an itch that consumers haven't been able to reach.  

“Sharing economy models work great when there is a high degree of consumer pain. As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” In a lot of markets, consumers are happy with the status quo, and it will be hard to get user adoption. ”

Kapoor believes that is why ridesharing and fitness have done exceptionally well:

“For ridesharing and fitness, the consumer pain is more obvious. Until Uber and Lyft, it was impossible to hail a taxi in most cities, a huge pain to force drivers to accept your credit card, and an all-around unpleasant experience in the car.

When you look at the fitness industry, it’s generating $75 billion each year on gym fees, yet 60 percent of people who belong to gyms don’t even go and our nation’s growing obesity and inactivity problem are evidence the solution isn’t working. Lyft and fitmob hack these pain points by creating an experience that is fun, accessible with the push of a button, and affordable giving consumers clear benefits that are lacking in traditional services.”

Kapoor also cautions start ups to be aware of the watchful regulatory eye, currently challenging the sharing economy daily. Lyft, Uber and Airbnb are a few of the many sharing platforms that are constantly under fire for violating the law. Kapoor wisely recommends that you should work hand in hand with the government to create a win-win for all parties. 

To see what else is needed for your sharing economy start up needs to be successful, check out the full TechCrunch article and let us know what you think.

Cooperative Jackson Works to Transform Mississippi

Shareable's Cat Johnson recently covered Cooperative Jackson, an organization promoting economic justice in the nation's poorest state. Mississippi has a median household income of just over $37,000 and almost a quarter of residents live under the poverty line. Cooperative Jackson hopes to change that by developing a strong network that encourages economic democracy and equality.

via Shareable

Shareable interviewed the Coordinator of Cooperative Jackson Kali Akuno, to talk about the organization's goals, challenges and the impact they have had on the community.

Founded in 2005, Cooperative Jackson is a network that includes a training center, a cooperative bank and several other established cooperative institutions. Aside from teaching people about the importance of cooperatives, they also provide education on how to create one. Recently they hosted Jackson Rising: New Economies Conference, a successful event that attracted international attention. 

While well-received by the majority of residents, not everyone is pleased. Campaign contributors to Jackson's new mayor have shown opposition, but that does not discourage Akuno. "WIthout question, the arms that are open to us are far more powerful than the few detractors when they act as a unified front. But, the detractors presently control much of the economy of the city and region, so we have a fight on our hands."

Jackson aims to lead the south in creating a new economy, and perhaps even the US.

“We believe we are in prime position to do many things that have not been done to scale in the U.S. overall as it relates to cooperative development and solidarity economics. The greatest challenge we have is securing the resources to fully capitalize our vision. That is our challenge. But, we have thousands of individuals in our community who ready and willing to work to make our city a beacon of the cooperative movement.”

Cooperative Jackson aims to have a minimum of 10% of jobs in Jackson be drawn directly from the federation of worker cooperation. If successful, Jackson would set an example for the influence the sharing economy could have on struggling economies. 

Check out the rest of the interview on Shareable and let us know what you think. 

The Peer Economy Under Fire

This last week was a rough one to market the peer economy. Berlin recently announced that Uber was effectively prohibited from their city while several others, such as Barcelona and London, continue to voice adamant opposition to rideshare services. As per usual, Airbnb is faced with challenges across the globe. 

Justin Sullivan - Getty Images

In addition, the peer economy is constantly being critiqued in the media. Time.com recently posted an article titled "6 Horrible Things the Sharing Economy is Being Accused Of". Sabotaging each other, wrecking the housing market, and illegal currency trading were a few of the troubling accusations listed. The article highlights that the shared economy can be "brutally cut-throat in the way that seemingly everything and everyone is monetized", which unfortunately, has resulted in a slew of negative press. 

The New York Times recently did a profile piece on a few sharing economy employees, specifically highlighting a mother of 3. The Times followed Jennifer Guidry on a 19 hour work day, doing everything from giving rides, to cooking private meals. Guidry talks about how the sharing economy gives her the flexibility she needs to spend time with her kids but comes with the instability of any ad hoc job. 

“I like my freedom — fixing someone’s cabinet, driving, pulling up weeds, cooking,” she told me as we sat in her dining room on Monday morning, recapping her weekend of work. “I would not like to do any of those things as a full-time job.”

Guidry sheds light on what it is really like to work in the gig economy, and what the payoff is. While she enjoys her work, the article poses concerns about the lack of stability and benefits that come with a traditional full time job. While some platforms have started to offer some services to employees, such as discount health insurance and accounting services, economists worry that it may not be enough.  

While some may see the sharing economy's recent increase in negative media as a sign of impending doom, this could be a very unique opportunity for the sharing community. Watching an economic movement develop in real time has never really been an option before. Enthusiasts can use this advantage to approach issues as they occur and come up with solutions before they become a characteristic of the collaborative economy. The question is whether or not we are willing to utilize this opportunity as a community or if the competitiveness of business will prevail. 

What do you think?

The Sharing Economy Meets Healthcare

Healthcare has found the sharing economy. Israel-based app HelpAround, connects people with diabetes in the immediate area and is the first 'sharing economy' app to hit the healthcare world.

Founders Yishay Knobel and Shlomi Aflalo started HelpAround last year after a friend forgot his diabetes test strips at a sporting event. The app provides users with a local support group of nearby helpers who could be of assistance. A person could share in the app forum that they don't have their supplies, are feeling unwell, or need help with using equipment. Other users in the area can connect with them to provide assistance or support.

"Here at HIMSS [Health Information Management Systems Society] it's all about hospital-to-patient, doctor-to-patient, nurse-to-patient. Why is no one talking about patient-to-patient?" Knobel said during a recent interview. "Especially when research has shown that peer support drives medical outcomes."

The app has been quite successful so far, with thousands of users and about a 90% response rate to questions. As Knobel mentions, higher levels of social support are associated with better diabetes and other illness self-management. Additionally, studies suggest that providing social support may result in health benefits comparable to - or even greater than - receiving support. 

With an increase of focus on patient satisfaction and aftercare, peer support apps such as HelpAround can help medical facilities better educate and support patients. 

"Diabetes management is exhausting for both patients and caregivers, yet there hasn't been a healthcare industry after-care solution that helps patients by connecting them to each other," Knobel has said. "HelpAround premise is: the best resource for a patient is another patient. We harness the superior trust, empathy and camaraderie within the diabetes patient community, allowing members to discover peers who truly 'get it'."

We are interested to see what other healthcare based sharing economy platforms spin off of HelpAround. Check out Mobi Health News' recent article on HelpAround and let us know what you think. Where else could you see a peer-support app being beneficial?

The Sharing Economy: What's in a Name?

One of the first things opposition of the shared economy will point out is that members are not actually sharing anything. There have been debates based solely on the name of this economic model. The only thing I can equate this to is how the rest of the world must feel about American Football. Misleading title and not technically true (at least for the majority of playtime). Supporters of the sharing economy can't argue too hard because most of the larger platforms aren't exactly sharing or collaborating. Airbnb hosts receive payment for the usage of their homes, and TaskRabbit's receive payment for their services. To share would mean that there was no payment required for goods or services, and therefore, opposition is correct. However, this has no affect on how supporters feel about the shared economy in the same way that Americans will continue to defy the world with the word soccer. 

Andrew Geant, CEO and Co-Founder of WyzAnt, a tutor search website, recently wrote an article for Entrepreneur regarding the naming of the shared economy. Geant's article, The Sharing Economy is Misnamed But Deserves Celebration Anyway, takes a look at what we could be calling the sharing economy instead.

"Certainly there are common threads among these businesses and reasons why several of them have grown exponentially to multibillion dollar valuations. But sharing and collaboration are not part of the secret sauce.  What makes these businesses special and successful are the concepts of participation and utilization."

"'Participation' and 'utilization'' are better terms for this new sector of the economy because these adjectives describe concepts that sharing and collaboration have never fully captured."

In the article Geant goes onto to explain where and when "Participation" and "Utilization" fit:

"Participation: noun; the action of taking part in something.Businesses like Uber, Airbnb and Etsy increase accessibility to goods and services that were historically limited by regulation, price, awareness and other factors.  This is true for both supply and demand (riders and drivers, hosts and travelers, and buyers and sellers). These businesses cause participation to increase among all parties."

"Utilization: noun; putting to use; turning to profitable account.Utilization is another way of saying that these businesses take advantage of excess supply and latent demand. This is where the term “sharing” is often substituted incorrectly ( When I rent a spare bedroom on Airbnb, it is a business transaction, not sharing. I'm motivated by profit to utilize a resource I control)."

Geant reviews a handful of sharing platforms and where they would fall into his new categories. Check out the rest of his article for more information.

What do you think? Does the sharing economy need a technically correct title? And if so what do you think of Participation and Utilization? 

Lyft Continues it's Battle to Expand to NYC

Lyft has expanded to 60 US cities and had hoped make it 61 with the addition of New York City last Friday. However, NYC has declared Lyft an "unauthorized service" and threatened legal consequences if the ride-share app launched. Lyft held off as long as they could before announcing they would work with the Taxi and Limousine Commission:

"Today we agreed in New York State Supreme Court to put off the launch of Lyft's peer-to-peer model in New York City and we will not proceed with this model unless it complies with New York City Taxi and Limousine regulations. We will meet with the TLC beginning Monday to work on a new version of Lyft that is fully-licensed by the TLC, and we will launch immediately upon the TLC's approval."

Lyft assured the public that there was no TRO (temporary restraining order) or injunction, but that everyone agreed to meet Monday if Lyft held off on their launch. Wall Street Journal reports that the decision was less nonchalant than Lyft lets on. They state that familiar face, New York Attorney General Eric. T, Schneiderman (from the Airbnb's subpoena in NYC earlier this year) and plaintiff Benjamin Lawsky, filed court papers on Lyft's original launch date in order to stop the company from operating in the state. 

"Lyft's arguments are a disingenuous attempt to disguise old-fashioned lawbreaking that jeopardizes public safety," Messrs. Schneiderman and Lawsky said in a news release. Schneiderman is no new face to opposition of the shared economy and knows that NYC will set a standard for other cities worldwide. 

Lyft's competition Uber, managed to get licensed in NYC after initially launching without the TLC's approval. Some have speculated that this was because Uber had recently hired Ashwini Chhabra, the then TLC deputy commissioner for policy and planning. Many within the taxi industry find this to be very suspicious:

"About 4-5 weeks ago, [we] ... accused Ashwini of working for Uber presently and in the past," Evgeny Freidman, who owns one of the largest taxi fleets in New York, wrote to TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi shortly after Chhabra's hire, according to the New York Observer. "I would insist as a major stake holder in this industry ‎that the TLC open a [Department of Investigation] investigation into this matter."

However, several industry experts believe that Chhabra's hiring had nothing to do with Uber's licensing but rather that Uber agreed to play by the TLC's rules, which up until now, Lyft has refused to do. Uber has embraced regulations and operates only with city-licensed vehicles. TLC spokesman, Russell Murphy states:

"From our perspective, … Lyft is unique from Uber in a larger sense because they’re not following TLC regulations. Uber, at least from what the TLC says and what Uber says, is following all the regulations,"
 

So yet another legal battle to watch in the sharing economy. Let us know what you think, will NYC grant Lyft a license? Or use them to set an example for other "unauthorized services"? To read more check out the Business Insider article on Why NYC's Lyft Crackdown Probably Isn't Linked To Uber and Wall Street Journal's coverage of Friday's decision.

Airbnb CEO Tells us His View on the Sharing Economy

Brian Chesky is not only the CEO of home-share platform Airbnb, but also one of the first to become a billionaire off the shared economy. Last week he discussed his predictions for the Sharing Economy at the Atlantic Aspen Ideas Festival. Considering Chesky's success his bold predictions are worth paying attention to.

Airbnb does business in 34,000 cities, has a valuation of over 10 billion dollars, and in a very short time has disrupted the world of hospitality and travel.

He explained that society started on micro-entrepreneurial roots:

"Cities used to be generally villages, and everyone was essentially kind of like an entrepreneur, before there were factories. You were either a farmer, or you worked in the city as a blacksmith, or you had some kind of trade. And then the Industrial Revolution happened." 

Throughout the interview, Chesky makes several predictions about the future of the sharing economy and its impact on society.

Chesky predicts that not only will the industry be able to create upwards of 100 million micro-entrepreneurs, but it will also save us from future recession and robot-worker society. We'll also be living in a world where people can become businesses versus the traditional work-for-the-man archetype. He also predicts that everything will be small with less big chains and outright ownership. "You're not going to have big chain restaurants. We're starting to see you have farmer's markets, and small restaurants, and food trucks. But, soon, restaurants will be in people's living rooms."

While worth the watch, If the 1 hour video is too long for you check out the recap from Venture Beat. Gregory Ferenstein's article "Airbnb CEO Spells Out the End Game For the Sharing Economy in 7 Quotes" breaks down the main points of Chesky's interview.

Let us know what you think. These are pretty bold predictions and the one thing we'd love to hear is a timeline. Is this the future of the Sharing Economy? Will we see it in this lifetime?

Shareconomy Kickstarter

We are pleased to announce that the Shareconomy Kickstarter went live this week. This project has been an exciting chapter of our lives are we are so close to completion. We invite you to check out the Shareconomy Kickstarter page and let us know what you think.

Shareconomy examines the sharing economy through the eyes of those who know it best. The film features interviews from academics and experts studying the movement, government officials tasked with regulating this new economy, and those individuals using sharing platforms to enrich and empower their lives. Many working within the sharing economy embody the micro-entrepreneurial spirit, a model for the 'new worker' in this 'new economy'. Through these characters, we will discover the complexities of the sharing economy and its current and potential impact on our society. Shareconomy explores both the pros and cons of this economic movement, questioning whether this 'new economy' will transform the way we work, live, and interact with each other forever. 

Through this film we have an opportunity to spark a global conversation on this economic movement while still in its primary development. Economists and academics have predicted that this new sector could have the biggest impact on society since the Industrial Revolution. Globally, sharing economy companies are worth nearly $500 billion and are disrupting major established industries and challenging governmental regulations. We hope this film can provide a macro-level view of the sharing economy movement and an honest discussion about the pros and cons.

The film is about halfway through production and we need your help to finish it. Those familiar with the sharing economy will understand why we utilized crowd-funding to help us complete funding. A film based on the economic impact of the sharing society wouldn't be right if we didn't partner with our audience. Our goal is to raise $115,000 by July 4th, 2014. We've come up with some unique rewards for every level donation, all with the sharing economy in mind (including crashing at the Director's house for a night). 

Please take a moment to check out our Kickstarter page and view the extended trailer. We are so grateful for any contribution you can make, including spreading the word to family, friends and colleagues. 

Thank you so much for all your support. Let's make this movie happen!

Share NY

No taxies at 4pm in NYC? Load up the carriage full of luggage and go! On our way to #sharenyc #shareconomyfilm pic.twitter.com/1IjA5DHY4L

— Shareconomy (@shareconomyfilm) May 30, 2014

Today Greg and Jillian headed to the inaugral Share NYC conference at NYU. Hosted by Arun Sundararajan, Luke Williams, and Cynthia Franklin, #ShareNYC featured speakers and panels discussing current hot topics in the sharing economy. The event joined together "entrepreneurs, government leaders, academics, business executives, VCs and students for a unique day of discussion and thought leadership about the emerging collaborative, peer-to-peer and sharing economies." Unfortunately the event was not live-streamed, however Twitter gave us a pretty decent play by play on the main points of discussion.

.@digitalarun framing #sharenyc and announcing http://t.co/V8E4qW2plj a collective #sharingeconomy research platform pic.twitter.com/9H7Y3QwmBH

— Benjamin Tincq (@btincq) May 30, 2014

So true:"Institutions will always work to preserve the problem to which they are the solution" @cshirky #sharenyc

— Jennifer Bradley (@JBradley_DC) May 30, 2014

The sharing economy is a way to address inequality- it's a way to share wealth via @Sara_Horowitz #sharenyc

— Let's Collaborate! (@letscollabnyc) May 30, 2014

the new collectives: @cshirky chats w/@rasiej @nataliefoster @dkrugman @cshapiro @btincq #sharenyc pic.twitter.com/6FHpGWhLfa

— Arun Sundararajan (@digitalarun) May 30, 2014

Welcome @freelancersu, largest group for freelancers in US. Shifting risk from individuals to a collective. #sharenyc pic.twitter.com/AinapjKPNS

— sydney campos (@sydcampos415) May 30, 2014

Yes! Thrilled to see published. MT @obeniflah Proposed Principles for Peer Economy by Sarah Cannon, Harvard pic.twitter.com/0AxXlkSvi0 #sharenyc

— April Rinne (@aprilrinne) May 30, 2014

.@fredwilson closing at #sharenyc: what will be the role of govt, capitalism when we move to true distributed systems #thoughtprovoking

— sidbhatia (@sidbhatia) May 30, 2014

The first Share NYC conference seemed to be a success and continues to confirm the interest society has in the sharing economy. It's excellent to see such a young economic model hashed out by groups of educators, regulators and enthusiasts while still in development. Did you have an opportunity to attend #ShareNYC? What did you think? Are these conferences developing the sharing economy or not?

a regulator, a lawyer and an economist walk into a bar... #sharenyc

— jen lemen (@jenlemen) May 30, 2014

Airbnb's Agreement in New York

This week New York State's attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman, succeeded in obtaining a subpoena for anonymized data on New York Airbnb hosts. Schneiderman recently targeted the housing-rental site stating that some hosts are "large, commercial enterprises with dozens of apartments - truly illegal hotels". This was Schneiderman's second attempt to get Airbnb records as the first deemed over-broad by a New York Supreme Court Justice. Schneiderman narrowed his focus and submitted a new subpoena the next day which was approved Wednesday. 

The attorney will have a year to sort through the data and identify those in violation of local laws. Scheiderman has stated that he only plans to pursue anyone who's running illegal hotels. If his office finds something suspicious, Airbnb must identify the host. Airbnb's head of global public policy, David Hantman, called it "a strong agreement that best protects our community's data and sets us on a positive path forward." 

So far, it looks like both parties are claiming this ruling a victory. We have yet to hear how NY hosts feel about the agreement. For many, inviting a stranger to stay in their home is much more comfortable than opening it up to regulators.

Schneiderman is one of many regulators keeping their eye on the digital economy. He announced his intentions for sites like Airbnb and Uber in a press release last month:

Regulators should not be deterred and, as a practical matter, they can’t and won’t be — we are now living in an online world, one that offers great promise but is also becoming one of the primary crime scenes of the 21st century. Major service providers cannot be allowed to treat it as a digital Wild West. The only question is how long it will take for these cybercowboys to realize that working with the sheriffs is both good business and the right thing to do.

 Schneiderman claims that the deal was "a template for other places in the country where the issue has been raised."

Perhaps it will become a worldwide template as Airbnb was also in international news this week as one host ran into legal problems in France. A young man was found guilty of breaking his lease after subletting out his room in Paris for €450 ($613) a week. The man was ordered to pay € 2,842 ($3,872.79) in damages to his landlord. 

The judgment – a first involving Airbnb in France – coincides with a wider crackdown by the French government and the Paris town hall on the flourishing market for letting rooms or whole apartments to tourists. It also coincides with the settlement of a legal battle between Airbnb and New York State, which could lead to the prosecution of thousands of people who have defied state laws and let rooms or flats to tourists.

We are curious to see how this plays out. What do you think? Is this an example of over regulation or did Airbnb have this coming? Check out Airbnb's Blog Post on the deal and let us know what you think.

Transparency Rules the Sharing Economy

Last week's blog post talked about trust in the sharing economy and different views on whether peer economy users are experiencing honest, organic trust or not. Whether you believe that the sharing economy is a trust inducing system or that it's all an illusion you can't ignore that it's an economic model that is increasing in strength. 

But how are they doing it? Peer-to-peer Sites like eBay and Craigslist have been around for almost 2 decades and while both have done well, they didn't necessarily inspire the intensity of excitement that we are seeing from the success of companies like Uber and Airbnb. Carl Alviani explains why in his recent WIRED article "Uber Learned the Hard Way: Transparency Rules the Sharing Economy". Alviani talks about Uber's recent struggle trying to explain their surge-pricing policy:

This is far more vitriol than you’d expect from a simple price increase, but makes more sense when you recognize how much consumers hate opacity and unpredictability. So when CEO Travis Kalanick announced that Uber’s app would indicate when a current surge period is scheduled to end, fans breathed a sigh of relief. Kalanick describes the move as an attempt to “bring more humanity to our communications,” but it’s more accurate to say that Uber is finally coming to grips with active transparency, which has become standard throughout the Sharing Economy.

Alviani goes onto to talk about what other platforms, such as Airbnb and Etsy, are doing to promote transparency. Essentially, they highlight everything that could go wrong with your connection and what to do about it. All with the clarity and care that you'd find on any other part of their site. 

This is why established peer-to-peer marketplaces like Etsy and Airbnb make a point of using their design chops to celebrate information that others sweep under the rug. Go to their websites and you’ll encounter pages outlining terms of service, cancellation policies, dispute resolutions and other boring details, treated with the same elegant design and clever copywriting as taglines and banner ads. Features like searchable photos, well-written descriptions and sensible interaction flows are everywhere, not because they’re nice to have, but because they’re the foundation that allows this trust-based model work. These are what make browsing for vintage furniture more comfortable on Etsy than on eBay, and meeting people on Match.com less creepy than on Craigslist.

It appears that Uber has learned their lesson and it will be interesting to see what else they will make transparent. Check out the entire article by Alviani on WIRED and let us know what you think. Why do you think transparency is such a huge part of the sharing economy? Better yet, why does this feel like such a new concept? What organization would you like to see be a little more transparent?

Trust and the Sharing Economy

This last week several articles came out regarding one of the collaborative economy's most popular keywords, trust. It's a massive piece of what it takes to be an active participant of the peer economy and now a hot topic of conversation.  

Jason Tanz' recent Wired article "How Airbnb and Lyft Finally Got Americans to Trust Each Other" covers everything from interviews of Sharing Economy users to a history lesson on when America's started losing trust in each other in the first place (according to Tanz, sometime in the mid-19th Century). 

Shortly after Tanz' article released, Christine Lagorio-Chafkin of Inc. published "Why Trust Is the Sharing Economy's Pipe Dream", which concluded that any sense of real, organic trust "still feels like a hologram".

A recent Wired cover story seemed poised to explore how companies in the sharing economy foster compassion, community, and trust, but it actually surfaced a more complex and compelling argument, one with which I agree: These companies actually have built quite a sturdy backbone of protections for users (certainly these fail from time-to-time, but they exist) that they've eliminated much of the need for that elusive trust by customers.

Lagoria-Chafkin goes on to quote Tanz's article who writes:

Indeed, for the time being the boundaries of the sharing economy are protected fairly rigidly. If you’ve ever been caught driving more than 20 miles over the speed limit, you can't rent a car on RelayRides. Aspiring Lyft drivers must pass a background and DMV check and get approved by a mentor, who judges applicants not just on driving ability but on personality. DogVacay hosts go through a five-step vetting process that includes training videos, quizzes, and a telephone interview.

She goes onto say:

In comparing the evolution of the modern marketplace economy to the explosion of institutional banking and insurance in the early 20th century, Tanz continues: "this new system acted as a trust proxy; it didn't require people to trust one another, because they could rely on a centralized system to protect their interests."

The digital marketplace as a trust proxy: Now this makes a lot more sense. 

Both articles make interesting points. Read Jason Tanz's enttire article advocating trust here and Christine Lagorio-Chafkin's rebuttal here. 

What do you think? Is the Sharing Economy based on real, organic, neighborly trust? 

Some Setbacks for the Sharing Economy

"Scrutiny of the so-called sharing economy seems to increase every day" and today it's in San Francisco, one of the collaborative economy's model cities.

The San Francisco city attorney sued two landlords Wednesday, claiming they illegally converted residential housing into short-term rentals that were advertised on Airbnb and similar services. The former residents, two of whom were disabled, were evicted using the Ellis Act, a controversial California law that allows landlords to reclaim properties for their own personal use.

Jim Wilson/The New York Times

Dennis Herrera, San Francisco City Attorney

Ouch. While Airbnb states that this particular landlord has been banned from the using the site, it doesn't mean it won't happen again.

This isn't a new discussion, especially in San Francisco who is currently in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. "Housing advocates say the law is often abused by landlords seeking to cater to the lucrative tourist market".

Ride-sharing also continues to be a topic of constant scrutiny and platform Uber is currently under investigation by New York attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman for illegal price-gouging  (selling goods at higher than reasonable or fair prices). Schneiderman is also seeking information from Airbnb which ended in court (again) this last Tuesday. 

Check out the rest of the article from The New York Times Blog and let us know what you think. Are these setbacks only the beginning? How can a sharing economy services such as Uber and Airbnb prevent users from abusing services? And how should the law respond?

Seattle Suspends ride sharing regulations one month after passage

Just one month ago, Seattle City Council enacted new regulations on rideshare companies like Uber and Airbnb. Yesterday, Uber, Lyft and Sidecar submitted more than 36,000 signatures on a repeal petition forcing a public vote. An ordinance so challenged is suspended until the public vote.

The suspension — whatever happens in the future — is a major victory for companies offering an alternative to Seattle’s much-criticized taxicab service.

In a wider sense, it is a win for the city’s technology economy, which took to heart the cause of ride sharing, arguing that Seattle must be a 21st century city open to innovation and new ways of providing services.

This is huge news for not only Seattle ridesharing companies, but for the technology driven collaborative economy in general. A public voice this strong is an obvious indicator of the popularity of sharing economy services.

Check out the entire article on the Seattle Pi's Blog and let us know what you think. Is Seattle's response to city regulation only the beginning? 

Could the Renting and Sharing Economy Save Indian Cities?

Some seem to think so. Gautam Bhatia's recent article in the Times Of India talks about how government planning (or lack of) has failed Indian cities and the Sharing Economy has the potential to fix that. 

"If our cities have lived up to the expectations of our planners, it is because there were none. The current city is merely an agglomeration of accidental forces - migrating labour, entrenched middle classes, daily human toil, public expectation, random division of physical space, and attempts at law and order. "

Bhatia believes that Indian cities should follow China's lead in discouraging private home ownership and instead create rental housing.

"The Indian city needs similar serious physical and psychological measures. Buying a home in the centre of town and private car ownership are now both archaic and unfeasible. The future city can no longer be seen as a collective of purchasable products, but rather, as a service: a dense habitation where all facilities - home, car, office, shop - are available on rent. A permanent place where residence is impermanent. "

Check out the rest of the article here and let us know what you think. 

The Toronto Tool Library

The Library is one of the oldest and well known form of sharing. Now people are creating other kind of libraries and expanding the sharing economy. Check out the Toronto Tool Library and their experience with the Sharing Economy.

Why are people Sharing?

While the Sharing Economy has become increasingly popular you may have wondered why people are choosing sharing over ownership. In the Report "Sharing is the New Buying, Winning in the Collaborative Economy" by Jeremiah Owyang, Vision Critical and Crowd Companies they asked over 90,000 people why they share goods, services, space, transportation, and money. They found that the top reasons people participated in sharing was because it is more convenient, it has better value and it's a unique experience.

Check out the rest of study here and the recent dissection on why people share here and let us know what you think. Why do you share?