The rise of the “on-demand economy” has ushered in a new breed of businesses that operate based on the idea that customers can play a larger role in their experiences.

Companies such as Airbnb, Snapgoods and RelayRides have all burst on to the scene as a result of the push toward putting more control in the hands of the modern customer.

Perhaps no company exemplifies the disruptive potential of the on-demand economy more than ride-sharing company Uber.

While Uber is already making waves in the transportation industry and turning the traditional taxi business upside down, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending companies pose a similar threat to traditional banks.

Uber’s Big Splash

Most of these new on-demand economy businesses come about when a traditional, established business leaves open a window of opportunity due to inconvenience, inefficiency or high costs. In the case of Uber, the traditional taxi business in major U.S. cities has historically included a bit of all three of these characteristics.

Uber founders recognized that the idea of standing on a street corner and helplessly flailing a hand in the air or calling a dispatch operator and hoping that a cab will show up within the next several hours is not the optimal way to get from place to place in a modern city.

In a matter of years, Uber has gone from an unknown startup to a $41 billion company with 160,000 active drivers that have generated more than half a billion dollars in fares.

Take Control Of Lending

Banking customers have…

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