I actually came to the thread expecting a lot of AirBnB hate, but didn't expect ALL of it focused on them. I've used AirBnB many times around the world as a traveller, and have had generally good to great experiences. But I can understand all the arguments from the other side of how their management or inaction results in this type of bad behavior from the public. It's definitely something I think they need to address before it reaches a critical mass, and stories like this and their response certainly do not help.
HOWEVER, I'm surprised people here just glossed over Vacayo and their founder's roles in this, which is my bigger gripe. Clearly, based on the 2 different home owners interviewed in this story, Vacayo was simply renting out property and converting it into short term rental property without the owner's knowledge or consent. Then posting them on the AirBnB platform, and likely funneling any inquirers to the same listing onto the Vacayo platform. Then of course, claiming it as their 'traction and revenue'.
There's so much illegal, unethical behavior here starting from turning an owner's property into short term rental, going so far as to install new automated locks and cameras. Doing this against the property owner's intent and knowledge, not to mention the city laws. Then funneling another platform's users back to it's own platform. Then taking this arguably shady 'traction' and applying for and getting into 500 startup's program. And I'm sure, if this article didn't make it into the mainstream press that 500 startup would have continued with them, or maybe they are and just not claiming publicly anymore. In any case, 500 startup shares some blame in encouraging or at least willfully ignoring this type of behavior in the startups they fund.
( And yes, yes, I'm aware of AirBnB's own funneling of people from craigslist onto their platform... )
I guess I'm disheartened by this trend of straight up questionable or unethical behavior being passed along as 'hustle'. It's a VERY fine line and I'll be the first to admit and acknowledge some form of 'hustle' is required to get your business traction and running. But some of these cases with Theranos, Vacayo, etc etc really cross way over the line in my view. And it seems some of the major actors in the startup community (YC, 500) are just sort of shrugging their shoulders to it.
I realize startup stories can get romanticized in their retellings over time, and that even our standard heroes like Apple(Jobs) and Microsoft(Gates) have their own questionable tactics in their ascent to the top. But there has to be a line drawn, and as a community we should be a bit more discerning and direct about what's not acceptable lest we get over run by grifters and snake oil salesmen.