The Secret Splitoo Master Plan (just between you and me)

On the 2nd of August 2006 Elon Musk wrote a blog: “The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me)”. A prophecy about what he would achieve with Tesla. 10 years on in 2016 he responded with a new master plan (part deux). What is mind-blowing is that Musk outlined a 4 bullet strategy and executed it with no deviation.

Inspired by Musk’s prophecy, here’s the Splitoo Masterplan.

What is Splitoo?

A web app that allows you to offer assets (products or services) on a recurring schedule. You then get paid either daily, weekly, monthly or anually. Assets can be digital such as subscriptions to online services. Physical assets, like spare storage space or technology. Or service assets – scheduled recurring work such as a music teacher, tutor or babysitter.

1. The Dashboard

2. The Sharing Page

3. Making payment

Splitoo is for friends, family, neighbours or even as a business. Some use cases are:

Physical Assets: e.g. cameras, computer equipment, gardening equipment and tools, physical space such as spare loft/garage space, land.
Subscriptions / Digital Assets: e.g. Household Bills (TV, Wifi, Gas, Electric), Online learning websites.
Recurring services: e.g. Window Cleaners, Guitar Teachers, Postal subscription businesses (Monthly Shaving Kits, Weekly Recipe Kits like Hello Fresh etc). Whilst these are some of the use cases for Splitoo, we hope we’re surprised at what people want to share. That’s the real beauty of it. A flexible payment architecture that promotes creativity to get more out of what you own.

Technology as a method of connecting

Technology always promised greater connectivity. As time passed tech seems to have caused more connectivity issues than it solved. People are spending more time than ever talking to devices, than to people. But, it seems for the first time we’re seeing a budge in this pattern. Apps such as: AirBnB and Uber provide a tech driven platform for human connectivity. But, this change has been slow to arise for two reasons:

1) Network Effects – These are the powers given to an app or platform when it has access to the majority of a market. There is a long-standing joke that the best salesman in the world was the one to sell the worlds first telephone. This is because that phones are a network problem. When everyone owns a phone, the benefits are exponential, but this takes mass adoption. Markets or products that rely on network effects take a long time to create and can be fickle.

2) Speed Of Cultural Change – One of the greatest factors that limits new technology is culture. Resistance from users, governments or even monopolistic product competitors. We fear the uncertainty of what new technology means for our future. This leads us to be particularly hesitant adopters, as we fear a dystopian future.

The “Sharing Economy”.

But as we overcome our fears of a future run by Sky-Net. We’re now seeing new technology enable new ways of connecting. Uber and AirBnB enable us to make money from otherwise dormant assets – you can even rent out your dog now! Part Deux of Musk’s master alludes to the same trend – “Enable your car to make money for you when you aren’t using it”.

Companies like AirBnB and Uber now make it fell like you have friends around the world. You can go and stay with them, they’ll:

Pick you up from the airport
Take you home
Make you breakfast
Tell you where to go in their city
Drop you off and pick you up.

Bringing the true power of connection that the internet was first promised to bring to the world. Splitoo will do the same in other arena’s. We imagine a future where you’ll be able to store bulky items with a neighbour. Or rent rarely used assets such as Camera’s or GoPro’s with ease. Reducing the need to own as many assets, saving waste and encouraging connection… a new lighter weight way of life.

Splitoo release

Splitoo is close to public beta. It will go live in early 2018. So, watch this space.

So, in short, the master plan is:

Build simple subscription service to share items between individuals.
Use that money to discover more about what people want to share.
Use that money to create a platform, aiding discovery and leveraging network effects.
While doing above, allow people to live better lives, owning less.

Don’t tell anyone.

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Lou Bichard

Hey I'm Lou! I'm a Cloud Software Engineer From London. I created Open Up The Cloud to help people get their start and grow their careers in cloud. I edit the monthly Open Up The Cloud Newsletter which I think you'd really like. You can find me on Twitter or LinkedIn , I'm always happy to chat. When I'm not writing you can usually find me picking up heavy things and putting them down, or riding two wheels (sometimes with an engine, sometimes not).