Anchored Quote by Meg Whitman
“You look at the tremendous success of Facebook. To my mind there is not a lot of commerce going on in these social networking sites. eBay is a community anchored in commerce. It is a commerce site that built a community around it. What has not been proven is if the reverse can happen and people will go to community sites to do commerce.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: 2009, eBay CEO conference, Meg Whitman
She contrasts commerce-driven communities like eBay with social networks lacking commerce, questioning if commerce can emerge from community sites.
In simple terms: Commerce can be built around community, but not vice versa yet.
Key Takeaway
Consider building commerce features into community platforms.
Themes
commerce
community
business models
platform strategy
network effects
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
business
strategic
When to use this quote
- eBay strategy meetings
- social media platform planning
- startup pitch decks
Key Concepts
platform economics
community building
value creation
Questions to Reflect On
- Can community trust be leveraged for commerce?
- What incentives drive users to buy in social sites?
A Different Perspective
Community platforms may lack trust for transactions.
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