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Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

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Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#21

Post by thesethings »

physcab wrote: post #16
chanri wrote: post #2

Just wondering, how many people here have used Airbnb? I would think a large number of HN people would use it.

I tried when I went to NY a couple months ago. I contacted like 6 people and they all bailed on me ("bailed" in the sense that they had their apt listed as available on the day I wanted to go, but then couldn't offer it to me). It was a week before I wanted to go. I ended up paying for a hotel that was substantially more expensive, but it was definitely available. I'd imagine this is part AirBnb's core problem. How d…

I've heard about this dynamic a lot.

This is why somebody I know hasn't pulled the trigger on putting his place up: People aren't flaking so much as being extremely selective about who they rent to.

Basically my friend totally wants to go on AirBnb, but knows he will only offer to people he can semi-cyberstalk to his satisfaction/hope to be 3 degrees of separation from via industry/community circles (to make him feel comfortable).

Right now you don't have to rent to anybody you don't want to, even when you put your availability up for a certain time-frame, which is great. But it does confuse potential guests who get false positives for available places.

I think AirBnb needs something beyond ebay-style reviews to resolve this. The groups thing could be a good start (there are are interest/ community groups, like HN group, on AirBnb).

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#22

Post by axod »

harry wrote: post #10
axod wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd think it's pretty high as well. Personally, I can't see the appeal apart from price. I'd take a hotel every time. Am I the only one worried about rape/murder/theft with something like this as well? Maybe I am :/

I don't mean to be snarky but how is rape/murder/theft threat different than your daily life? Someone is going to go overboard and sucker people vs randomly kidnap someone at a Wendys?

I live in a safe place. If I'm going traveling (To likely a more dangerous place), I'd be safer staying in some sort of 'official' establishment, such as a hotel. Rather than staying with random people. They could be irritating, unhinged, dangerous, murderous, thieving, perverted, etc

Random people scare me. Maybe I just assume the worst in random people. How many airbnb rooms have spycams installed in the showers? I'd bet it's more than in hotel rooms :/

It's just the same reason I wouldn't hitch-hike or go in an unlicensed taxi.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#23

Post by papersmith »

spxdcz wrote: post #17
chanri wrote: post #2

Just wondering, how many people here have used Airbnb? I would think a large number of HN people would use it.

We've been traveling the world since May 1st 2010, and have used it wherever we can (Vancouver, Melbourne, Thailand, ...). It's a great idea, love it, and don't want to say anything too negative (it has far more going for it than against it). However, the one problem is that it's quite difficult to leave negative comments about anywhere. One of the places we stayed in... well... the room was great, but the people we…

>If you've ever seen the film Away We Go, well, one of the families in that film were the spitting image.

Just curious, which family in the film are you referring to? I only have a vague recall of them.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#24

Post by middus »

axod wrote: post #22
harry wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't mean to be snarky but how is rape/murder/theft threat different than your daily life? Someone is going to go overboard and sucker people vs randomly kidnap someone at a Wendys?

I live in a safe place. If I'm going traveling (To likely a more dangerous place), I'd be safer staying in some sort of 'official' establishment, such as a hotel. Rather than staying with random people. They could be irritating, unhinged, dangerous, murderous, thieving, perverted, etc Random people scare me. Maybe I just assume the worst in random people. How many airbnb rooms have spycams installed in the showers? I…

How are people working in a hotel not random?

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#25

Post by spxdcz »

papersmith wrote: post #23
spxdcz wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We've been traveling the world since May 1st 2010, and have used it wherever we can (Vancouver, Melbourne, Thailand, ...). It's a great idea, love it, and don't want to say anything too negative (it has far more going for it than against it). However, the one problem is that it's quite difficult to leave negative comments about anywhere. One of the places we stayed in... well... the room was great, but the people we…

>If you've ever seen the film Away We Go, well, one of the families in that film were the spitting image. Just curious, which family in the film are you referring to? I only have a vague recall of them.

The one with the "family bed", who refused the stroller. Not that I have anything against that; to each their own.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#27

Post by jacquesm »

tomjen3 wrote: post #8
jackowayed wrote: post #7

Back of the envelope calculation: 800k nights booked * $100/night * their 10% cut = $8M in revenue last year. Impressive.

That's an extremely unlikely average price. Most likely you are looking at less than half that.

That doesn't change the fact that it's very impressive, even at 'less than half that'.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#28

Post by jacquesm »

vladd wrote: post #12
philwelch wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Friends don't generally charge each other money to stay at their place though, right? Or maybe that's a difference between close friends and acquaintances--and many people have a lot of acquaintances for Facebook friends, so I can see it working out.

Maybe not a 1st degree friend but a friend of a friend or something like this. A feature that finds out the "shortest chain" friend that rents out an apartment in your destination city would be interesting. But you need a social graph for that.

Sounds like a facebook app worth making. Rent out rooms to people that are at most 3 hops removed from you on FB?

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#29

Post by axod »

middus wrote: post #24
axod wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in a safe place. If I'm going traveling (To likely a more dangerous place), I'd be safer staying in some sort of 'official' establishment, such as a hotel. Rather than staying with random people. They could be irritating, unhinged, dangerous, murderous, thieving, perverted, etc Random people scare me. Maybe I just assume the worst in random people. How many airbnb rooms have spycams installed in the showers? I…

How are people working in a hotel not random?

They're vetted by the hotel, there's regulation, command structure, security in the hotel, they have an incentive to not do bad things (They'd get fired), they're (hopefully) trained, etc etc

Additionally, if the hotel is a big chain, there's a certain standard of service you can pretty much be sure of across hotels.

So IMHO, people working for a company who are trained and employed to serve the public, are quite different to 'random people'.

Re: Airbnb (YC W09) Grew 800% in 2010

#30

Post by replicatorblog »

tomjen3 wrote: post #8
jackowayed wrote: post #7

Back of the envelope calculation: 800k nights booked * $100/night * their 10% cut = $8M in revenue last year. Impressive.

That's an extremely unlikely average price. Most likely you are looking at less than half that.

Unlikely that it is that low. I rarely see a room on AirBNB for less than $80 at least in big cities. Wouldn't be surprised to see a higher AVG.
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