# Competitive analysis (fictional competitors)

Done after the feasibility gate, so it shapes v2 rather than v1. The goal was to learn, not to copy.

| | **PageTrade** | **BookBench** | **SwapCircle** |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Swap by post, using credits | Map of street "little libraries", no accounts | General barter app with live-location meetups |
| Exchange model | 1 book sent = 1 credit; a credit buys any book | Take one, leave one, anonymous | 1:1 trade, negotiated in chat |
| Where people meet | Nowhere (postage) | Fixed public boxes | Anywhere: live location shared |
| Confirmation | Tracking number | None | Either side taps "traded" |
| Pain points (app-store reviews, 300 sampled) | Postage cost, slow | Boxes empty or full, no reservation | 14% of 1-star reviews mention safety or no-shows |

## What we learned → where it went
| Learned | Evidence | Used in v2 as | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credits remove the "I don't have a book you want" deadlock | PageTrade's reviews praise flexibility | **Swap credits** (UC-2b): offer a credit instead of a book | [AI] analysis, [DECISION] Ana |
| Fixed public places feel safe and are easy to find | BookBench's reviews; Trust & safety agreed | **Swap Spots** (UC-4) | [AI] + [FACT] I2 |
| Reservation is what BookBench is missing | "Box was empty when I got there" (top complaint) | The book is **held** after acceptance, and the spot shows the slot | [AI] |
| Two-sided confirmation stops disputes | SwapCircle's "either side marks traded" causes disputes | **Handoff code** kept from v1 | [HISTORY] v1 idea kept |

## Deliberately NOT copied
| Not copied | From | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Live location sharing | SwapCircle | Safety reviews, policy P-7, our own SI-1 |
| Postage model | PageTrade | ShelfShare is about neighbours; postage adds cost and delay |
| Anonymous take-one-leave-one | BookBench | No accountability, and books can't be reserved |
| Public "trader rating" stars | SwapCircle | Trust & safety: ratings get used for retaliation; v2 uses a private "report a problem" instead |

## SIM element rationale fed by this analysis
In `sim-v2.html`, turn **Inspect** on and tap the *Credit* chip, the *Swap Spot* card or the *Hold* badge. Each one cites this table as its inspiration or pattern source.