The X-Economy

Communities of Trade

The X-economy is short for the exchange economy, a demand-driven network of real-time global exchanges that instantly brings together all of the resources needed to form a value chain. Simply put, the X-economy is the collection of online exchanges that will dominate markets and economies. These global exchanges already provide unprecedented flexibility, collaboration and speed. Communities of trade will form, and through them, all commerce will flow.

Technology has always shaped and driven community, commerce, and connections. All three converge in the X-economy. Unlike e-commerce, the consumer side of selling online, the X-economy is all about business-to-business transactions. The X-economy is:

1) Driven by the demand chain, not the supply chain. 2) A community, not a market. 3) Built on trust, not transactions. 4) Personalized. 5) Instantaneous.

Time-to-community is the time required to build a community of similar social and/or commercial interests. It’s been steadily decreasing throughout history, often with profound implications, as technologies like the printed book, radio, telephone, television, cable, and the World Wide Web...