This post is part of the upcoming platform Business Model Toolbox.

magic

 

The core logic of this business model: the customer can ask for any service through a mobile device, an aggregating entity searches and then delivers the service to the customer

“I would like to have…“ is a sentence that suffices for new services like Magic or Operator to fulfill your request. By paying a small premium, this service allows you to get whatever you desire delivered to your home without you having to think about HOW.

Since February 2015, the U.S. startup company ‘Magic’ has created buzz and as a result, the waiting list for the service to “get you anything you want” is exploding. To initiate the service, you simply have to send a text message to Magic. A human operator will do the research and provide you with several options. After finding an offer you like, all you have to do is confirm and pay for the order.

Magic operates as an aggregator for all services. The startup creates a logistics layer between customers and desired services by determining who can fulfill the order and at which prices.

The value proposition to the customer to “get you anything you want” is clear, the big challenge is organizing the business model to create this value.

 

Operator is an app, created by Uber Co-founder Garret Camp, which is expected to launch. The app targets a similar value proposition as Magic, allowing customers to send a message asking for anything and Operator then covering the entire backend to deliver the desired service. While Magic was only a side project put together over a weekend Operator is intended to change the commerce industry.

Another iteration of this concept can be seen from GoButler, a startup based out of Berlin.