Did Uber start out wanting to incite a global legal war on the taxicab industry? Its intention to create an alternative market has certainly had widespread influence on culture, the economy and politics, and author Gabriel Metcalf ponders whether the sharing economy should carry such considerable effect, in his recently published book Democratic by Design.

Speaking from a place of experience, Metcalf details his own history in launching one of the first car-sharing services in the United States. As one of the founders of City CarShare, Metcalf knows first hand the struggles of starting a company that’s seeking to create its own market. From political ideology to sensible business plans, Metcalf begins the book by detailing the successes and pitfalls of City CarShare, sharing the lessons he learned along the way.

Step-by-step guides

What’s useful about Metcalf’s account is his breakdown of the reasons and tactics a startup of this sort should follow, recognizing that alternative markets such as car-sharing, Co-ops and community land trusts go against the norm and face a unique set of challenges. Discussing funding strategies, political alignments and institutional partnerships, Metcalf includes several outlines throughout the book to provide the theories and step-by-step processes required in an alternative market becoming what he calls the “new normal.”

For instance, when considering a partnership Metcalf recommends a startup vet the organizers to ensure they have the resources needed to succeed, and whether the startup addresses an existing problem or will require an initial phase of consumer education to gain interest. Does the startup have the potential to grow, spread and replicate? Are there existing institutions that can be transformed to fit the needs of an alternative market?

Pragmatic use cases

This pragmatic approach to Democratic by Design not only makes the book highly readable, but a resource for those entrepreneurs looking to make a real impact. This isn’t an instruction book on how to start a business for business sake, but a guide on how to transform an ideology and give it economic purpose.

To encourage and further demonstrate the real challenges behind crafting an alternative market, Metcalf goes into extensive detail the history of famed Co-ops around the world, current examples of the sharing economy, and the impact of unions on capitalistic political systems.

The book is filled with well-researched examples of successes and failures over the years, noting the impact of political strife such as war, and other cultural developments like the technological advancements that supported the suburban sprawl and a shrinking global economy.

Use cases on employee-owned companies are especially relevant in today’s economy of regular job switching and uncertain benefits packages in corporate settings, as Metcalf covers ground from the sustainable food movement to affordable housing.

What you will and won’t find in this book

What happens when an alternative market is faced with the decision to compromise its founding ideals in order to survive? How can an institution continue to change for the better over time? These are tough questions to answer, but Metcalf doesn’t shy away from exploring the myriad of ideological and practical obstacles that can throttle or choke an alternative market in any industry.

What you won’t find in this book is instruction on how to launch a social media campaign to raise awareness for an alternative market or ideology, nor the technical details of the internet’s influence on emerging trends in the sharing economy. This is something of a missed opportunity in relating the many history lessons Metcalf shares throughout the book, as the social component of the web has effectively revolutionized multiple aspects of business operations, from advertising to market research, strategic partnerships and public support.

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