Collaborative Fund

Excerpt from an interview with Craig Shapiro on Shareable:

“Ownership won’t go away, but attitudes toward ownership are shifting,” said Shapiro. People have become more concerned with experiencing things, rather than being able to put them on a shelf. This will give way to what Shapiro calls a trend toward collaborative thinking in 2012.

“Big data will be extremely important in 2012, and I’m eager to see the growth in startups finding connections between online and offline lives,” said Shapiro. “While enterprises strive to draw insight from ever-increasing mountains of information, I see the average consumer striving to make sense of the noise from their composite online presence.

“But it works both ways,” he continued. “Online communities can help augment our offline lives. One example is BankSimple (now: Simple). Our banking and finances (traditionally relegated to brick and mortar venues) can translate to an exquisite user experience online, helping us to understand our daily purchasing habits and avoid fees associated with user experience traps inherent to the way big banks profit.”

When it comes to determining what attracts investors to sharing businesses, Shapiro says that its more than just a big user base and a familiar model. Those who recognize that the market is moving in a new direction are looking for companies that display the core values of collaboration: creativity, transparency, responsibility, and accountability to their community and stakeholders.

Image by Eric Frommelt