Peers Inc: How People and Platforms Are Inventing the Collaborative Economy and Reinventing Capitalism
When Robin Chase cofounded Zipcar, she not only started a business but established the foundation for one of the most important economic and social ideas of our time: the collaborative economy. With this important book, she broadens our thinking about the ways in which the economy is being transformed and shows how the Peers Inc model is changing the very nature of capitalism.
When the best of people power is combined with the best of corporate power to form “Peers Inc” organizations, a potent creative force is released. The “Inc” in these collaborations delivers the industrial strengths of significant scale and resources, and the “Peers” bring together the individual strengths of localization, specialization, and customization, unlocking the power of the collaborative economy. When excess capacity is harnessed by the platform and diverse peers participate, a completely new dynamic is unleashed.
In Peers Inc, Robin Chase brings her provocative insights to work, business, the economy, and the environment, showing:
•How focusing on excess capacity transforms the economics of what’s possible and delivers abundance to all
•How the new collaboration between the Inc and the Peers enables companies to grow more quickly, learn faster, and deliver smarter products and services
•How leveraging the Peers Inc model can address climate change with the necessary speed and scale
•How the Peers Inc model can help legacy companies overcome their shortening life cycle by inviting innovation and evolution
•Why power parity between the Peers and the Inc is a prerequisite for long-term success
•How platforms can be built within the existing financial system or outside of it
•What government can do to enhance economic possibility and protect people working in this new decentralized world
Chase casts a wide net, illuminating the potential of the Peers Inc model to address broader issues such as climate change and income inequality, and proves the impact that this innovative economic force can have on the most pressing issues of our time.
Review
“Chase gives historical insight into her cofounding of ZipCar and how the flexibility and ingenuity of the public allows for new business models to be developed…An engaging and quick read on collaboration and the new capitalism.”—Library Journal
“A provocative discussion of how public investment and private entrepreneurship can combine to shape future advantages from existing used and unused capacities.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A remarkably comprehensive, and extremely clear, guide to the world’s new logic. I’m less interested in how these peer networks make money than in how they make change; as Robin Chase points out, if we’re going to fight climate change we’re going to need just about everyone engaged. Here’s a recipe!”—Bill McKibben, founder 350.org
“Clear-eyed, practical and radical insight from a visionary who has already built part of our future. This is just the beginning.” —Seth Godin, author of It’s Your Turn
“Peers Inc will change our ideas about how the economy is shaped and will transform how we work, build businesses and crack pressing societal problems.” — Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail
“If you want to understand the forces that are transforming industry after industry, you must read Peers Inc. A smart and engaging account of why peers and platforms are so powerful, and what they can achieve together. A path-breaking book by a true visionary.” —Juliet Schor, author of True Wealth: How and Why Millions of Americans are Creating a Time-Rich, Ecologically-Light, Small-Scale, High-Satisfaction Economy