I seem to go through annual cycles of Internet obsessions.
In 2008, it was social communication platforms, like Twitter. In 2009, it was services that make microblogging easier, like Hootsuite and Ping.fm. In 2010, it was location-based mobile apps, like Foursquare and Gowalla. And this year, it’s social marketplaces.
The concept of “collaborative consumption,” also know as the “sharing economy,” completely enthralls me. The fact that I don’t need to book a hotel, buy a car or invest in a drill is amazing — instead, I can just borrow these things from regular people from my neighborhood or from around the globe for a small fee. Now, that’s something worth getting excited about.
So, what types of things can you collaboratively consume? The list goes on and on, but here’s a snapshot of some of the most interesting things you can find on social marketplaces:
- Apartments: Airbnb, iStopOver, HouseTrip, Love Home Swap
- Skills: Skillshare
- Parking Spots: ParkingSpots.com, Park Circa, SpotHero, ParkingPanda, ParkWhiz
- Vehicles: GetAround, RelayRides, HiGear, WhipCar, JustShareIt
- Bikes: Spinlister
- Goods: SnapGoods, NeighborGoods
- Chefs: Kitchit
- Food: Tableslice
- Geeks: Geekatoo
- Sitters: Sittercity
- Minions: TaskRabbit, Zaarly, AgentAnything, AirRun, Fiverr, HeyNeighbor
- Clothing: My Dress Affair
Even more exciting is the potential for meeting awesome people via social marketplaces. You don’t get that experience with traditional marketplaces — Zipcar, I love you, but it’s just the truth.
I’ve hosted a number of guests on Airbnb (and have stayed in quite a few places as well); I teach a class on “PR for Startups” on Skillshare, and I’ve learned how to knit (see video above) and live rent-free in NYC; and I catsit for the fun of it via Sittercity.
Along the way, I’ve met some amazing people (Stefania in Catania, I’m talking to you!) and cats (Darcy, Yuki, Ernie and Sabi, you know you’re all the cat’s meow). What’s not to love?
The social economy is where it’s at for me this year, and I have a feeling it’s going to spill over into 2012. So, what was your tech obsession this year? Let me know in the comments below!
Tags: airbnb, Collaborative Consumption, GetAround, RelayRides, Sittercity, skillshare, SnapGoods, Social Economy, Social Marketplace, TaskRabbit
Yup, love the peer-to-peer model. I recall folks at Startup Weekends pitching or building things around clothing or accessories. There’s one called MyDressAffair that I think is doing something like that for dresses.
Ooooo, wonderful! Hadn’t heard of that one! Thanks! Adding it to the list!
Great story, thanks for sharing : )
I noticed there was no category for food (only chefs). Tableslice is a marketplace for creating and sharing social experiences around food with friends and acquaintances. We’re launching soon. If you’d like early access to our private beta, let us know and we’ll include you.
Would love to be invited to the beta. Sounds like fun and yumminess. You can probably guess my gmail address with amazing accuracy for the invite.
Actually, just signed up.
Fantastic. We’ll add you to the top band of invites for early access to our private beta. We have a feeling you’re going to enjoy Tableslice, Cheers : )
Awesome. Thanks!
Erica, if you’re listing parking, no one comes close to ParkWhiz.com. We parked over 15,000 customers for the Super Bowl yesterday and have parking options in over 30 major cities across the US. Check us out and let me know if you need any additional info.
Thanks,
Justin
Marketing Manager
ParkWhiz.com
Congrats on the big day! And thanks for the heads up. I’m adding this to the list!
Woah, you just introduced me to some awesome new websites. I think I’ve just become obsessed with SkillShare… thank you!!!
You’re welcome!
Erica, my friend Benita Matofska launched The People Who Share as an aggregator for the sharing economy. They are building an ebay of sharing! check em out
Very cool you get to try out so many of the collaborative consumptions sites living in NY. Just to add to your list, my startup ToolSpinner will be taking on the tool rental market for the DIY project type. Also for parking, ParkingPanda based in Baltimore. Keep it up!
Cool, Daniel. Toolspinner sounds neat – definitely niche, but hey, when you need a tool, I bet it’s a great place to start! Nice work.
Also, I added ParkingPanda to the list; thanks for the recommendation!