Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Mobile Payments are in no ways like Social Media

I suppose there is fundamentally a big difference between paying some-one for something and talking to them. Clever sayings can be given away freely and you get richer by giving it. This is why platforms like Twitter and Facebook is so addictive. If you are innovative enough, you can keep on giving and the more you give the more you get (status, followers, friends etc.)

Payment systems are much different. The more you give, the less you have. You only get more, if someone gives you money specifically - if it is specifically targeted for you. The behaviour and the need to do transaction (or to contribute to the community) is very different. The systems and the psychology of creating a vibrant community is different. The need for support, guidance, privacy etc. are significantly different.

This is why I believe one should also think about the eco-system differently. The platform providers, the distribution and the business models are different. It is unfortunately not a case of "building it and they will come". It is not a case of the more we give it away for free, the richer we will get. The sooner we take the social media hat off when we debate payment systems the better.

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