[dsr_]

Remember that there is an alternate universe in which AirBnB is the way that 70% of all corporate short-term housing gets booked, and they are telling the story of how they nearly didn't pivot correctly.

And a zillion alternate universes in which they never got big. Survivor bias is real, and everyone has just-so stories. The ones they choose to tell are partially an artifact of organizational culture, and partially of self-aggrandizement.

[epolanski]

On the other hand, what's the appeal of Airbnb in 2026?

I'm genuinely confused at what is it better at than Booking, which also has hosts.

Booking is also significantly cheaper at all offerings ranges and has a much wider catalogue including hotels.

Airbnb was cool and interesting when it was genuinely cheaper and offering authentic experiences.

Every vacation or place I go I check Airbnb and bar for one apartment in Sangenjaya, Tokyo, I have never, ever booked there in years, and the only reason I did was that Booking had nothing in those days in that very place I wanted. But it's rare.

[hellisothers]

I’m the opposite and never use Booking but part of that is I’m put off by the experience of using the site. Also noticing it heavily skews towards getting you into a hotel in “touristy” locations. Feels like these are slightly different use cases and are optimized thusly.

[epolanski]

There's no shenanigans.

Both prioritize putting at the top places that are likelier to sell and hotels in more touristic areas draw more people.

What are those off putting experiences on booking?

Both apps and websites do essentially the same, it's not a sketchy dark pattern filled Ryanair check in.

[MichaelZuo]

This line of argument proves too much.

As it would apply to a lot of things throughout history.

e.g. “Remember that there is an alternate universe in which ancient Anatolian farmers defeated the Yamnaya steppe raiders in Europe, and they are telling the story of how they nearly didn't make it.”

Which would mean even the concept of “European” as known in this universe… is just a bundle of survivor bias, just-so stories, and so on.