[Traster]

I think the reason you don't get an answer to this is because this is article number 100352752. WeWork isn't a tech company because there's no unique technology they use to rent out office space- which is how they make money. Their business model is "Sign long term contracts cheap, rent out to short term tenants expensive". Which is fine, but it doesn't justify their valuation (which is predicated on them 'disrupting' the office rental industry) and isn't fine - because so far they spend more money renting the office space than they do leasing it out to their tenants. So their real business model is "Rent $1 worth of office space out for 50 cents". They had no compelling path to profitability.

[streb-lo]

Isn't airbnb similarly disqualified under your definition?

[QuadmasterXLII]

Airbnb could have existed using an army of secretaries taking phonecalls and making reservations, but it would have cost more

We work could have existed with an army of secretaries taking phonecalls and it would have cost less

[Traster]

Airbnb's business is the app that connects property owners to renters. Their app is the technology, their marginal costs are 0- you can add another property to the website trivially. Their value is in the network effects in their app just like facebook. Wework actually sign rental contracts and take on the risk of not being able to fill the properties.

[frankchn]

A big difference is that AirBnB (and Uber, Lyft, etc...) don’t own or lease any of the underlying assets (apartments, cars) but are purely middlemen.

[ravenstine]

AirBnB is convenient. WeWork isn't really more convenient than existing competitors. It just has the wow factor.

[dreamcompiler]

The wow factor being embodied primarily in a Charismatic Young Narcissist (CYN) CEO. See Elizabeth Holmes.