Over the past few years, a bunch of web-based marketplaces have gotten popular – Etsy, Kickstarter, AirBnb, to name a few. Many of these business ideas had been tried before but are succeeding only now.
When a trend like this emerges, it’s always interesting to ask “why now?” For example, for almost a decade, entrepreneurs tried to create video sharing services like YouTube, but only succeeded when certain key dependencies – broadband, digital video cameras, a version of Flash that “just worked” – became widespread.
I asked Roelof Botha the “why now” question regarding web-based marketplaces. He said something I thought was really interesting: marketplaces depend on trust, and trust requires knowing the reputation of a prospective counterparty. Today, for the first time, you can get background information on almost any prospective counterparty by searching Google, Facebook etc. Or put more simply: we finally have an internet of people.By Chris Dixon
(via wildcat2030)
Spotify ad #1: “Why let a computer pick what bands you should listen to? Isn’t it better when your friends make the recommendations? This is why Spotify is awesome.”*
Spotify ad #2: “If you get into a groove with a particular band you like, Spotify will automatically recommend new bands that sound similar.”*
They played right after each other.
*paraphrasing.
‘Connected’ Sheds Light on Our Addiction to Social Technology
Tiffany Shlain’s feature-length documentary Connected is an intensely personal exploration of what human connection means in our modern, technology-obsessed world. In anticipation of the film’s release in New York next week, she shares an excerpt that looks at how our brain chemistry compels us to reach for our gadgets 24-7.
