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“The Netflix of X:” How startup jargon has evolved

By
Erin Griffith
Erin Griffith
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By
Erin Griffith
Erin Griffith
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 26, 2015, 3:00 PM ET
Netflix Inc. Illustrations Ahead Of Earnings Figures
The Netflix Inc. application (app) is displayed on an Apple Inc. iPhone 5s surrounded by DVD mailers in this arranged photograph in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, April 14, 2015. Netflix Inc., the largest online subscription video service, is expected to release earnings figures on April 15. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Andrew Harrer — Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Netflix of X

You don’t hear it as much now (save for Pley, the new “Netflix for Legos”), but five years ago plenty of companies piggy­backed on Netflix’s (NFLX) revolutionary subscription rental model, invoking its name for everything from fashion to videogames.

The Uber of X

The phrase describes any service that can be summoned to your doorstep with a tap of your smartphone. Uber, recently valued at $50 billion, has a small army of instant-gratification imitators, including Instacart for groceries and Eaze for medical marijuana.

The Classpass of X

The latest startup to go “for X” is ­ClassPass, a company offering unlimited fitness classes for $99 a month. Already two followers have launched: Vive, the ClassPass for blowouts, and Zeel, a ClassPass for massages.

This story is from the June 1, 2015 issue of Fortune magazine.

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By Erin Griffith
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