Robin Chase, co-founder and former CEO of car sharing service Zipcar, and current CEO of online carpooling service GoLoco recently wrote a great post entitled “Time for Cooperative Capitalism” on her blog, Network Musings. In it, Chase describes the need for developing systems that enable the easy and efficient sharing of resources – both online and in the physical world – with a focus on collaborative financing, infrastructure, and consumption. She also offers a simple formula for people, companies, and institutions looking to engage in this approach.

1. Identify excess capacity.
2. Build a platform for others to share/engage with this excess capacity.
3. Appreciate unanticipated benefits

Check out Chase’s TED Talk from 2007 (the video is under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license) that explores some of these same ideas, specifically in ways that apply to transportation.