Challenges and lessons on creating a company with a platform-ed business model.

1. Creating a company based on digital platforms
in Europe: challenges and lessons
Marco Torregrossa
Managing Director, European Sharing Economy Coalition
Secretary General, European Forum of Independent Professionals
European Parliament ITRE Committee 14 July 2015

2. What do the following brands have in common?

3. Zero

4. The power of zero
The world’s largest taxi company
owns ZERO vehicles.
41 M. $.
The world’s most popupal social
media creates ZERO content.
184 M. $.
The world largest accomodation
provider owns ZERO real estate.
$20 M. $.
The world’s most valuable retailer
owns ZERO inventory.
$210 M. $.
Lend £10.5 million to UK businesses
in 1 week (june 2015) and ZERO
credits.

6. LEARNING
p2p learning open courses & moocs
PRODUCTION
co-design / co-
innovation
digital peer
production distributed fabrication (makers)
FINANCE
p2p funding
p2p
payments
p2p insurance compl.
currencies
GOVERNANCE
SWARM
participatory
organizations
participatory
government
blockchain /
DAO
CONSUMPTION
redistributio
n
local food
systems
product-service
on-demand
services
Collaborative Economy Framework

9. Platform-ed Business Model
“Products have features;
platforms have communities”
Marshall Van Alstyne, Associate Professor
Boston University, Initiative on the Digital Economy

10. From Decentralisation to Distribution

11. Collaborative Economy Value Chain

12. 1. Invest in invisible infrastructures (platforms) without having to
spend on concrete and help to build consumers’ confidence.
2. Apply regulations in the same way – but with proportionality –
given the small size of micro-businesses on some platforms.
3. Set clear minimum standards on health and safety for platforms
to make clear upfront to their users and help them comply by
pointing to applicable government guidance.
4. Update procurement frameworks, so that platforms are an
option alongside traditional service providers.
5. Partner with platforms in the organisation of large events,
natural disaster response, tax collection, re-usable items hubs.
6. Establish a “database of available hours” aggregating providers’
availabilities, trust rating and prices across platforms.
7. Assist the digitally excluded get online, so that they can access
the opportunities platforms can offer.
Final Takeaways (Policy Recommendations)

13. Marco Torregrossa
http://about.me/marcotorregrossa
@EuroFreelancers | #SharingEconomy | #CollEcon

14. Thomas Doennebrink, OuiShare Connector, Reinventing DB - Share and
Collaborative Economy http://de.slideshare.net/doennebrink/reinventing-
db-share-and-collaborative-economy?from_action=save
Jeremiah Owyang, Founder Crowd Companies, Keynote: The Collaborative
Economy with Jeremiah Owyang
http://www.slideshare.net/jeremiah_owyang/collaborative-economy-
keynote-jeremiah-owyang
Albert Canigueral, OuiShare Connector, TEDxESADE - 2014 - Platforms are
eating the world http://www.slideshare.net/acanyi/tedxesade-2014-
platforms-are-eating-the-world-albert-caigueral
Sources