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

When you're pitching a new company, it helps to compare it to one that everybody knows. Just ask Netflix, Uber and now ClassPass.

Netflix Inc. Illustrations Ahead Of Earnings Figures

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.