P2P Investment Network Model
From P2P Foundation
Contents |
Introduction to the P2P Investment Network Model
This model provides outlines how a P2P Network model can be used to facilitate the purchase of property or resources.
About this article
Additions to this document may be moved out to additional pages in order to keep the model lean and focused on a checklist of attributes that reference additional articles on this wiki.
Why a P2P Model for Investing
Working with a group to gain access to a resource is one of the oldest traditions of mankind. It isn't always easy, though, and current approaches can be difficult without the right tools, vocabulary, and a lot of clarity. A P2P approach brings together a number of different assumptions. These assumptions change the way that an investment group works together, and also effects a number of the outcomes of the group. This article lays out what is changed, how to do it, and what to look forward to.
Basic Attributes of the P2P Investment Network Model
The P2P Investment Network Model has several minimum components
Peers who want to form a network that performs investment can use P2P Protocol to build a common understanding of their common purpose. The use of P2P Protocol is the first step towards a Knowledge Commons, a repository of all the information and protocol that the network creates. The commons should be accessible to everyone in the network, and great pains should be taken so that others outside the network can engage the commons and join the network.
The ability to work as a group and to create a P2P Network Agreement are the basic attributes. Some would argue that an investment network isn't an investment network until it owns some property. In this case an investment network is an investment network when it can regularly engage in self-governance towards the common goal of acting as an investment network.
Who is the P2P Network?
The P2P Network that forms can be made up of all manner of individuals with varied interest. One of the ways to describe the members could be that these are people who want to do something common, investing, in a new way, with new people. The peers are people who do not wish to submit to the typical finance and ownership systems, and are willing to work towards another solution. Members can be people who own, rent, invest, or any number of other activities. What matters is that they have a common stake in the outcome that the network seeks.
What Benefits Can Members Receive
Members can receive many types of benefit from the activity of the network. Some of these can be covered in more detail in P2P Quality of Life and Multiple Bottom Lines. Here are some of the opportunities:
- Long term ownership of real property
- Use-Value (ability to use resources that the network acquires)
- Cash return
- Community, working with a group, friendship
- Connection to place, locale, or community
- Experience with the process of investing
- Purpose, the right thing to do
Members of the network have a lot of opportunity to benefit, but only of the needs of the network can be balanced and alignment can be found.
Alignment in a P2P Investment Network Model
How can a group succeed when everyone wants something different? This is a bit like asking how a city can keep the lights on when there are so many individuals living in the city. The short answer is that everyone does their part to move their own interests ahead, and they also do a bit to move the whole project ahead. In some circumstances it can be useful to outline "types" of membership so that everyone can form a richer and semi-compartmentalized understanding of the role they and others are playing within the network.
Alignment around a set of common outcomes is important, as is the agreement that the peers make with each other about the kinds of activities they will pursue in order to acquire the resource. As members engage, use and create protocol the peers wil get more of a clear picture about what it is they are certain of and where they need to have more discussion. The role of the Commons in a network is critical to alignment and ongoing collaboration.
See P2P Relational System for more information on alignment.
The Commons in a P2P Investment Network
The basic needs for a Knowledge Commons was outlined earlier. A knowledge commons can serve as the basic commons for a network as the peers develop mutual understanding and refine their approach to whatever particular investments they are interested in. Once the network is functional and capable of making decisions the next step of establishing a Physical Commons can be taken.
An investment network can be a Commons Based P2P Network when that network can establish the outlines of and taken action toward the establishment of a Physical Common.
