EAGER: Identifying Technical and Non-Technical Feature Requirements to Generate Income-Earning Opportunities for Inexperienced Entrepreneurs

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

This project seeks to discover some of the technical and non-technical "hidden" requirements for technology-driven, shared-economy entrepreneurship. This research will uncover the degree to which these hidden requirements are a challenge, especially for those who are not habitual shared-economy participants. Sharing economy platforms such as Uber, Lyft, eBay, Etsy, and Airbnb connect buyers and sellers and allow novice entrepreneurs to do business online. The sharing economy narrative emphasizes job creation and an easy ramp to small-scale entrepreneurship. Critics, however, have called into question what these systems actually provide for the least well-off, many of whom have limited experience with entrepreneurship and digital technology. This project very intentionally seeks broader impacts that aim to make the sharing economy more inclusive by simultaneously harnessing the strengths of local citizens, increasing community engagement, and raising economic prospects for the less well-off. A direct outcome of the research is to kick-start a working model for turning everyday citizens into tech-enabled, small-scale entrepreneurs. The research will follow a case study approach consisting of observations, participatory design exercises, informant interviews, and focus groups to examine the foundational factors that enable participants to successfully operate in a shared economy around tourism. Actively participating with the community, the team of researchers will use a participatory approach to embed this investigation into the working of an enterprise in which community members conduct neighborhood tours as a way to earn additional income. Participants will design the tours, handle logistics, and ultimately deliver the tours. For the purposes of analysis, documentation, and recording of all technical and non-technical support required to run the business, the research will elicit participant aspirations, run design exercises to determine tour content, and provide technical assistance and connections with legal and business advisors. The factors enabling successful participation in the sharing economy are poorly understood, especially with regard to non-technical components. The intellectual goal of this investigation will be to uncover the hidden needs and limitations of traditional sharing economy platforms and to identify methods required to meet these needs and requirements, especially as they relate to inexperienced entrepreneurs.