PEGASUS COMPANY: the principles and values behind platform cooperatives

Abstract

This  article  explores  the  differences  between platform cooperativesand  sharing  economy platforms,  highlighting  the  principles,  values  and  economic  models  that  distinguish  them.  While sharing  economy  platforms  tend  to  extract  value  from  supply  and  demand  encounters, platformcooperativesfocus  on  redistributing  wealth, shared ownershipand  promoting  community. In  the article,we use the term “Pegasus company”to refer toplatform cooperatives, emphasizing their focus  on  community  and  mutual  promotion.  The argument  isthat  technology  is  not  the  defining factor in the difference between the two types of platforms, but rather the type of organization and principles underlying them. The article suggests that platform cooperativeshave the potential to provide  a  competitive  alternative  to  traditional  sharing  economy  platforms,  providing  autonomy, stability, and shared wealth to both workers and consumer.