This is a great documentary about the sharing economy but what makes this special is its government backed and approached in a really great pragmatic way!
I guess its just the Dutch way, instead of banning progress or disrupters the Dutch embrace what is happening and find how to use it to their advantage and become leaders in these areas.

http://www.shareable.net/blog/new-documentary-celebrates-amsterdam-as-a-sharing-city

So I know I've been quiet lately but I was busy starting a new job and getting my head around all that has to be understood ;) I am now a technology advisor to the Irish foreign direct investment authority, the dream role. Look me up on Twitter - IDAKen

The good news is that I have a ring side view of all the amazing and wonderful innovations and research that is happening in Ireland. And this is a pretty impressive view, with 9 or the largest 10 ICT companies in the world calling Ireland their EU base there is a lot of amazing things happening in this space.

However I will still continue to write about the collaborative economy and try and spread the word about the progress its making.

A new company I really like is Peerby  - a website and app that enables you  to borrow the things you need from people  in your neighborhood. By actively asking around Peerby links you to people and products around you within minutes. Save money, live green and meet nice people!
Peerby is another sharing company is I hope will succeed!

Delighted to see that mainstream news in Ireland are now talking about The Sharing Economy. 

Aside from the revenue opportunities from this business model, the social and environmental factors are not to be overlooked. 

Nice to see that its popularity have been recognized by the Irish media.






http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/sharing-economy-ireland-1486707-May2014/

I AM NOW well prepared and more than ready to share than ever before.

You see, I have reviewed all of the evidence presented to me about sharing and am confident it’s 100% the correct decision.

I’m just back from the OuiShare Festival in Paris – a three-day conference exploring the growth of the sharing economy – where people from around the world gathered to talk about how the tech industry helps people share, rent or sell their resources.

As a former ‘Celtic Tiger’ 20-something-year-old disillusioned with our post-boom dysphoric society, I’ve turned 180 degrees: now, I’m a member of Irish neighbourhood-sharing website Streetbank, where I exchange and receive goods and services for free. I use Airbnb – the website that allows people to rent out their homes – and stay in strangers apartments. I co-share an office in Dublin city.

Share rather than buyAn unforeseen benefit of the internet is that people are starting to share rather than buy. According to Forbes, the sector exceeded €2.5 billion in 2013. It makes sense: why pay through the nose for something when you can rent it more cheaply from a stranger online? Why not share things with your neighbours?

It’s not all hippy-dippy… At the OuiShare Festival, experts such as Douglas Atkin of Airbnb, entrepreneurLisa Gansky, and Vincente Guallart, chief architect of the City of Barcelona, all agreed sharing can answer many of the problems we face.

Outside Ireland, shareable cities are growing fast: in the UK, ParkAtMyHouse has reinvented city parking: more than 18,000 families, school and churches make a second income by renting their vacant spaces. In Europe, car-sharing company BlaBlaCar has had a 135% growth since it started in 2009 with over 1 million users. In Berlin, borrowing shops are springing up in the city where locals donate and borrow things, instead of buying them.

Efficiency and social trustThis shift holds the power to change our lives, for the best. First of all, it helps the economy be more efficient. By bringing people together, by sharing our resources more effectively, we have a better economy – we’re able to live better. Secondly, it helps create stronger, healthier and more connected communities – it builds social trust.

It’s also handy extra income for owners for use renting marketplaces like Airbnb, and can be less costly and more convenient for borrowers who use neighbourhood-sharing sites. And lastly, there’s environmental benefits, by 2050 there will be 9.1 billion people on planet earth, where are we going to put all our waste?

Airbnb’s Brian Chesky summed it up when he asked: “There are 80 million power drills in America that are used an average of 13 minutes. Does everyone really need their own drill?” Quite frankly, no. We don’t. Despite economy screaming to us to shop, shop, shop, an economy of high GDP doesn’t mean happy and healthy lives. Using this as a measurement of Ireland’s standard of living is outdated and needs to be changed.

A country only judged by its GDP is one where the rich get richer, and poor get poorer.

Clever thinkingLuckily, clever thinking and action is happening. We’ve got office-sharing at The Fumbally; skill-sharing at Exchange Dublin; all kinds of sharing at Mabos in Dublin’s Docklands; car-sharing with GoCar; bartering at Trade School Dublin; and bike-sharing with dublinbikes. Currently, there’s battles to be made where authorities seek to hinder community-driven initiatives, but if Ireland wants to flourish and retain its young – it needs to facilitate, not threaten.

In the next five years, we are going to see a boom of new sharing initiatives, and city councils and businesses (who will have to make big changes, like BMW did recently with its new car-sharing service) will have to open-minded and take risks if they want to create smart cities like Barcelona, Copenhagen and Berlin. We can’t allow Ireland to be left behind.

While experts and politicians discuss how to solve Ireland’s broken economy, this may be a part of the solution. We’re already seeing it take shape around us, and Ireland has huge potential, and need, for a shared future. To create an economy that’s open to everyone isn’t a Utopian dream, it’s been showcased in other countries. It’s easily attainable.

I welcome it, will you?

My house mate pointed me to this website during the week. Its quite cool. 
Its foundations are the collaborative economy, connecting people, communities and getting things done.

The idea: you have a skill, you advertise it, you are 'hired' by someone, you get virtual credit which you can use to hire someone else.... Easy... No money but connections and community!!  
http://bliive.com/

I'm starting to think maybe I should have charged Airbnb for my Strategic analysis on their company. It seems many of the strategic recommendation in the report are being realized.

I guess being a supporter and advocate of the sharing economy means I have to put my money where my mouth is.. 


Airbnb are creating a stronger brand and differentiating themselves through offering more than just accommodation. This is great as it resonates with their core mission to create incredible experiences. 

"For Airbnb, the addition of experiences would add a valuable new revenue stream, while also improving the overall customer experience for its guests. And the initiative fits in well with the company’s ambitions to become not just a hotel alternative, but also a much broader hospitality brand."

See the full article here: http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/16/airbnb-experiences/

I'm job hunting. If you can see your organisation and me working together let me know. 

Key Skills:

Technology and Strategy:

• Project Management
  
• Program Management
  
• Portfolio Management
• Product Management

For more details see my CV

Info-graphic for my strategic proposal for Airbnb. For full details project posted last week.