1) Social profiles and crowdsourced ratings can improve trust, but they can also create opportunities for fraud and discrimination. Give examples of where this technology may have negative ethical implications, and discuss how the provider of a sharing economy marketplace can minimize risks and discriminatory bias.
2) Give examples of the kinds of entrenched interests that will lobby against expansion of the sharing economy? Why are each of these groups opposed to sharing economy efforts?
3) What sort of legal trouble has Airbnb run into? Put yourself in the shoes of city lawmakers. List the pros and cons of allowing Airbnb or other property sharing services to operate in your city. Would you allow these services? Why or why not? If you would approve the service, would you extract concessions or write laws that force some changes that impact how Airbnb and its partners do business?
4) Make a list of products that many people own, but that are underutilized. Are there sharing economy startups for these categories? If so, conduct some research to try to determine how they’re doing. If not, do you think a market should be established? Why or why not? What challenges might such marketplaces face?
5) Why do you suppose San Francisco passed a law to limit home owners to cap Airbnb (and similar) property rental to 90 days or less?