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by streb-lo 2461 days ago
Isn't airbnb similarly disqualified under your definition?
4 comments

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

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.
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.
AirBnB is convenient. WeWork isn't really more convenient than existing competitors. It just has the wow factor.
The wow factor being embodied primarily in a Charismatic Young Narcissist (CYN) CEO. See Elizabeth Holmes.