How Airbnb Plans to Take Over America
After coming under fire, Airbnb scored a huge victory when San Francisco residents voted not to pass Prop F. So with the big W in tow, what's the lodging disruptor doing next? The same thing they do every night: trying to take over the world.
During a victory speech of sorts, Airbnb's head of global policy, Chris Lehane (pictured) made it pretty clear that they're not the business to mess with. And with membership numbers nearing those of the NRA, they're coming for 100 more US cities in the form of "clubs," Business insider reports.
Here's a quick look at how they beat San Francisco into submission, and how the rest will follow:
Airbnb's presentation starts off by painting Prop F as part of a larger, more threatening movement. Then it lays out the benefits of Airbnb, like how it helps residents make ends meet and provides inexpensive travel options.
It goes on to outline the Airbnb community in S.F. with numbers like 75%-plus (the percentage of the S.F. membership that depends on Airbnb guests to stay in their home). Airbnb's community, which equals 17% of San Francisco's population, outnumbers Tuesday's voter turnout in the city.
And since a threat to part of Airbnb is a threat all of Airbnb community, Lehane created a group called "Airbnb 11" or "SF-11," calling on support from families and small businesses, and ultimately integrating it into their website.
Moral of the story: Airbnb is becoming the Chuck Norris of businesses. (And Chuck, supposedly, once stared a man to death.) Consider yourself warned. [BI]