91d437f0fb56cfb5b64de81b60bd6738

Source: http://en.oreilly.com/webexsf2008/…/1117

Author: Paul Kedrosky

Web 2.0 technology has enabled revolutionary opportunities in the space of finance. Social networking, user generated content, and collective intelligence are disrupting a traditionally conservative and closed industry. A number of promising Web 2.0-style offerings now enable consumers to share ideas and strategies, learn from others, provide ratings, and filter for relevant content. Will individuals become smarter about spending and saving? Can the collective ratings and analysis of ordinary investors help to uncover market-beating stock picks? Will markets for financial services become more open, and therefore more efficient? Will consumer pricing come down, or even become free?

This panel addresses the current Finance 2.0 wave by presenting leading start-ups, providing innovative services based on new business models that really work.

Sub-themes

• Free business models that work: real revenue streams, not just customer acquisition (e.g., Zecco, Prosper, Mint, UpDown)
• Leveling the playing field for everyday consumers: removing traction from traditionally costly economic transaction processes (e.g., $0 stock trades at Zecco Trading, better interest rates for borrowers and lenders at Prosper)
• Collective intelligence based on real user data: both quantitative and qualitative data on actual user behavior, addressing the long tail not just the top five or ten percent of consumer interest (e.g., ZeccoShare, Cake Financial, PredictWallStreet, Wikinvest)