Peers Inc.: How People and Platforms Are Inventing the Collaborative Economy and Reinventing Capitalism

When Robin Chase cofounded Zipcar, she not only started a business but established the foundation for one of the most important economic and social ideas of our time: the collaborative economy. With this important book, she broadens our thinking about the ways in which the economy is being transformed and shows how the Peers Inc model is changing the very nature of capitalism.

When the best of people power is combined with the best of corporate power to form "Peers Inc" organizations, a potent creative force is released. The "Inc" in these collaborations delivers the industrial strengths of significant scale and resources, and the "Peers" bring together the individual strengths of localization, specialization, and customization, unlocking the power of the collaborative economy. When excess capacity is harnessed by the platform and diverse peers participate, a completely new dynamic is unleashed.

In Peers Inc, Robin Chase brings her provocative insights to work, business, the economy, and the environment, showing:
How focusing on excess capacity transforms the economics of what's possible and delivers abundance to all
How the new collaboration between the Inc and the Peers enables companies to grow more quickly, learn faster, and deliver smarter products and services
How leveraging the Peers Inc model can address climate change with the necessary speed and scale
How the Peers Inc model can help legacy companies overcome their shortening life cycle by inviting innovation and evolution
Why power parity between the Peers and the Inc is a prerequisite for long-term success
How platforms can be built within the existing financial system or outside of it
What government can do to enhance economic possibility and protect people working in this new decentralized world

Chase casts a wide net, illuminating the potential of the Peers Inc model to address broader issues such as climate change and income inequality, and proves the impact that this innovative economic force can have on the most pressing issues of our time.

Robin Chase is cofounder of Zipcar, along with three other companies (Veniam, Buzzcar, and GoLoco). She was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World, a BusinessWeek Top Ten Designer, a Fast Company Champion of Innovation, and has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, NBC's Today, Wired, Forbes, Inc., and Newsweek. She lives in Cambridge, MA.