Where the Next Consumer Unicron Will Emerge From

Crowdfunding WAS awesome
It let you own part of something you believed in, enabled you to contribute to the success of your favorite products or services, or support ideas you thought could change the world. It literally birthed a consumer revolution.

BrewDog did this better than anyone — they created a lifestyle around a brand and aligned itself with evangelists who helped grow it exponentially. What emerged was a product defined not only by the beer it made but by the vocal supporters who passionately shared it with their friends and family.

What’s next?

In many ways, crowdfunding was just the next rung up the ladder. An evolution of what already existed in equity markets but extended in a way that had more impact. It made the consumer a player in directing the success of a project by allowing them to support its emergence at the formative stages of the business. They helped drive the direction the company emerged into.

The next step is ownership of products through consumer purchasing

What does that mean?

In practice, it means a consumer brand would create an ‘options pool’ — a tranche of equity — reserved for consumers. Rather than buying ownership of the company through shares, you…