The Serendipity Machine: A Disruptive Business Model for Society 3.0

Serendipity - value creation based on unexpected encounters - is a new trend in the world of business. Successful global players like Google and LinkedIn are introducing serendipity leaves for their employees: time they can spend outside of rigid work structure in order to find value in the most surprising places. These companies know how important unexpected encounters and knowledge exchange are for innovation. But what if it is actually possible to build a business - a machine - that systematically facilitates serendipity? This book presents a disruptive business model that is able to do exactly that. It shows how the Dutch company Seats2meet.com became a Serendipity Machine by implementing principles of asynchronous reciprocity, social capital and third space. The book explains these principles, providing companies and organizations with the insight they need to start their own transformation into Serendipity Machines.