[Hidden-tech] A Business Idea: a Local Borrowing Exchange

[Rob Laporte]

Wow, I'm pleasantly surprised at all the input already. I'm late on disseminating a far deeper and more systemic solution to the failures of our economic system, which I'll run by this group (a model using blockchain + web + non-violent activism), so won't say much more on this topic, except:


  *   Yes, NextDoor.com is well positioned for such a feature.
  *   Yes, getting enough people to use it is the chicken-egg problem with this idea. There are solutions, all of which would test the profit (shared or capitalist) model.
  *   Dealing with damage and theft is one of several liability issues, along with insurance surrounding injury from using a borrowed item.
  *   Christine's list of three such solutions out there already suggests the concept has legs, but also that the opportunity may already be getting crowded out. A business model that depends on competition being stupid, however often that stupidity may be true, is a weaker model than one showing value to be created without existing competition.
     *   On the other hand, a little competition helps distribute the cost of raising consumers' awareness that the category of solution exists.

If I were to explore the idea, I'd start with the realistic costs of build and operation, then work back from that to the revenue models that could support it. It might not be viable--cars and houses have a lot more dormant capital when not used. If that analysis showed viability, then one prices marketing vs. selling to the likes of NextDoor.com, and sees if any surplus value after build and operation costs would support marketing or be enough to interest M&A (mergers and acquisitions) people.


Take Care,


Rob Laporte

Chief Business Development Officer | Founder | Chairman

DISC, Inc. - Making Websites Make Money

413-584-6500

rob at 2disc.com<mailto:rob at 2disc.com> | LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/2disc/> | 2DISC.com<https://www.2disc.com>


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________________________________
From: Harry Flood <hjflood at mediaspectrum.net>
Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2020 5:40 PM
To: Rob Laporte <rob at 2disc.com>
Cc: Hidden-Tech Tech <hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>
Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] A Business Idea: a Local Borrowing Exchange

Would this work effectively on the Nextdoor website which is already operational in the area?

Harry

Harry J Flood
Chief Financial Officer
Mediaspectrum, Inc.

On Sat, Aug 15, 2020 at 8:00 PM Rob Laporte via Hidden-discuss <hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net<mailto:hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>> wrote:
I’ve long meant to suggest here (and hope I did not already and forgot) for enterprising souls the business idea of making a website for listing things one would loan and borrow locally. If it could be done efficiently, the Uber and Airbnb model of deploying idle capital could apply to the countless things we all have but use rarely, like spray painters, lawn dethatchers, hand-trucks, battery testers that actually work, ladders, coin roll-makers, shop vacs, all kind of tools powered or not, etc. I’ve not given it a lot of thought, and I know there would be issues to manage, not least the revenue model, but just throwing it out there. Perhaps after developing the concept, one could sell it to the likes of NextDoor.com. In this economy, there may be some talent with time to give it more thought.


Take Care,


Rob Laporte

Chief Business Development Officer | Founder | Chairman

DISC, Inc. - Making Websites Make Money

413-584-6500

rob at 2disc.com<mailto:rob at 2disc.com> | LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/2disc/> | 2DISC.com<https://www.2disc.com>


NOTE: Emails can be blocked by spam filters throughout the web. If you don’t get a reply within an expected span of time, please call.


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Harry J Flood
Chief Financial Officer
Mediaspectrum, Inc.
20 Gatehouse Road
Amherst, MA 01002

Office phone: 413.251.6890
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