Why are we here and what the heck is the Access Economy?

You’re maybe here because you know me in the twitterverse as @ronjdub here.  Perhaps you’re here because you followed a link from the SnapGoods facebook fan page here.  And if you’ve been following our growth as a new company from stealth mode to closed beta to limited public release in NYC, then maybe you’re hear to catch up on the latest thing we’re doing to change the world here.  And without sounding overly dramatic (but fully knowing how grand it seems) revolutionizing how you think about access vs ownership is nothing short of earth-shattering.  Our team is excited to be addressing these HUGE issues:

1. How do we get people to consume more responsibly?

2. How do we activate people’s interests and make it easier to engage in more

3. How do we use online networks to strengthen offline communities?

4. How do we include commercial brands and manufactures in a dialogue about sustainable behavior that doesn’t fall strictly into their Green PR budget?

We’ve built a strategy and corresponding platform that we believe begins to answer these questions and with the help of our growing user base and partners, we hope to figure the whole thing out.

To be fair, lots of folks are focused on an aspect of the solution when they talk about peer-2-peer renting, sharing, and recycling.  But the bigger point being missed is that access is NOT mutually exclusive of commercial interests.   This is a critical miss in the thinking of some of the folks in the space.  It is a mistake to think that progress towards sustainable commercial behaviors somehow means abandoning commercial activity all together.  People still want and need to buy stuff.  Manufacturers, retailers and brands still make and want to sell stuff.  We’re standing in the middle identifying ways to align all stakeholder interests.

So what is the access economy? (Yup, pop quiz on the first post!)

A) Marketplace where products can be consumed as needed without purchase

B) New way for consumers to forge experiences and brand loyalty

C) A novel way to stimulate better, more sustainable consumer behavior

D) A way to both strengthen existing communities and create new ones

E) A cool name coined by the SnapGoods squad

F) All of the above

Yeah, you guessed it, all of the above…and more.  And that’s at least part of what we’ll be sharing.  A slice of our lives and efforts as we build something unprecedented.  But what do YOU think?  Do you want access as an option?  Or is this just a load of crap? Please comment away!