In the digital age, the monetization of personal assets has become a new phenomenon. Whether it’s renting out the spare bedroom in your house through Airbnb, using your personal vehicle to earn money by transporting people via Uber or Lyft, or even booking a luxury private jet at a fraction of the cost through JetSmarter.

Of course, such disruptive technologies become a target for bureaucrats who seek to erect barriers that dampen the dreams of intrepid entrepreneurs. But the so-called “sharing economy” is nothing new; indeed, the merchants on “Main Street” have always “shared” their inventories and distribution networks with customers for their mutual benefit. The contemporary economy has merely adopted technology to transform centralized commodities into more accessible goods and services.