I really enjoy your work Donald. Its answered a lot of my questions in the past.

There was one post you made a month ago asking about Business models for Ethereum. It was one I read closely. I think /u/vbuterin happened to give the answer right here:

It's a transformation from "how can I do X for people?" to "how >can I create a platform for other people to do X for other people, >and make sure that platform has the right incentives?".

That is exactly how I see it used.

Uber for example connects people who need a drive to people who are driving skipping over the taxi racket in the process. It isn't decentralized however. Eventually governments will get organized enough to rob and imprison the owners of Uber because they have a head office. Its a central point of failure that is traditionally exploited by authority to keep all the various bureaucracies safe on top.

If you were to build Uber on Ethereum, you'd do it in a way that it runs itself. You wouldn't use the blockchain to calculate the shortest routes or the nearest available car. Who would want that info in a public ledger? Ethereum would provide and safe and trusted way for the user and the independent provider to exchange value, Bitcoins or some other token. There could be contracts that say, take a deposit at the start of the ride and when the passenger and the driver report the same GPS coord's previously agreed upon the balance transfers to the driver. You would also use the blockchain to store your identity and keep a reputation others could trust while also giving feedback on the reputations of people you interact with.

If you can build that, bring people together to exchange whatever value for value in a safe, decentralized and efficient way, while skimming a little from the top each time, I dare say you'll have struck gold.