> Airbnb didn’t invent a new concept—it executed better within an existing space.
Uhm did it not? If anything it invented two new concepts - paid couch surfing (which it turns out people didn't really want) and unofficial ad-hoc holiday rentals (which people really want).
I'm nitpicking - overall the article is spot on and I'm glad this is getting called out.
Are those new "concepts"?
Uber for your house seems all. Effectively every single business in the gig economy has been rehashing the same concept trying to commodify every aspect of the human experience by inserting a platform as an alternative to a regulated market (or no market at all).
Yeah definitely. There was no way you could rent out your house before Airbnb.
Uber for X is a new concept if nobody has done it before. Sure you can say it's obvious but most business ideas are, especially in hindsight. The idea is the easy part.
Uhm did it not? If anything it invented two new concepts - paid couch surfing (which it turns out people didn't really want) and unofficial ad-hoc holiday rentals (which people really want).
I'm nitpicking - overall the article is spot on and I'm glad this is getting called out.