#StartupCoffeeKL 119: Uber as a co-op?

During #StartupCoffeeKL 118 we discussed the "sharing economy" (often referred to in services as the "gig economy") and issues related to working within or around regulations when building a sharing economy product. In our discussion, we picked on Uber in light of the recent riots in Paris. See the link:

http://www.meetup.com/DigitalOkanagan/photos/26300918/

Much of the discussion was about their strategy. A few days later, this tweet got me thinking:

https://twitter.com/doctorow/status/627616660443115522

What if Uber was a co-op? What would that even look like? Also, why do we never talk about alt ownership models in StartupLand?

So I emailed my bro Christian Brandt, who runs the local carsharing co-op. He is down for a coffee and a conversation, and likes the idea of exploring the definition of "sharing economy", which is problematic. cf:

https://twitter.com/chadkoh/status/627527315514232833?s=15

This week's #StartupCoffeeKL will be a three part discussion:

1. What exactly IS the "sharing economy"?
2. Alternative ownership models
3. CASE STUDY: Uber as a co-op

Bring your whiteboard markers.