Not So Disruptive

The Airbnb Story: How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions and Created Plenty of Controversy – Leigh Gallagher (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

There is something just this side of ironic about a business book written about a company that is touted for disruptive to and entire industry. Fortune editor and the books author, Leigh Gallagher gives a nod to that irony in the introduction to the book when she acknowledges that Airbnb founder Brian Chesky intimated at the time she pitched him the idea for the book, that by the time it would go to press, it would be outdated.

So is the nature of the guys and the business profiled in Gallagher’s new book, The Airbnb Story: How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions and Created Plenty of Controversy. While the idea is far from groundbreaking, it is the way that the idea was accelerated and the nature of the platform that they built to speed the process that is at the heart of this story.

The disruption really comes down to the selling of two ideas; one that you have space, a spare room, and extra home, or maybe something more unique, so why not monetize that space? And second, wouldn’t you rather have a unique experience or save money the next time you travel. It is certainly not a proposition for everyone, but it is one that seems to have caught fire in some circles.

Gallagher spells out that Chesky and company certainly seem to have a clear vision of the future of their company; expand into areas of the entire travel experience. While that makes sense because the shine may wear off on the initial disruption and results could dwindle; it’s hardly disruptive to offer discounted flights and rental cars. The focus will have to evolve into selling experiences, which may be a tougher market to hack.

Gallagher does a nice job of detailing the companies first decade and spelling out the challenges ahead as it moves into it’s second.