by Stephanie Guico

The so-called ‘sharing’ economy leaves no one indifferent. But if platforms exist, it is because their particular brand of service delivery, such as Uber or Airbnb, meets a need. A solution to improve upon their formula exists. In it, users and workers, rather than see their fate be contingent on financial results, dictate the functions of the platforms based on the benefit they seek to derive from them. The instruments of new capital become its agent. The possibility of workers owning capital would be rebooted, effectively fulfilling the original promise of disintermediation made by these platforms.