In lieu of real content, another set of links.
Picks of the week:
- Kevin Roose speculates about Uber’s future
- Cale Weissman interviews an Airbnb landlord
- Tomio Geron talks to new Google investees Homejoy.
Peers.org:
Airbnb:
- Their own headquarters are extravagant, including a replica of the Dr. Strangelove war room as Airbnb joins in the workspace arms race.
- Is the company returning to its spammy roots?
- The hiring of executives continues.
- Stories of hosts: evicted, supportive, ethically dubious.
- More stories? Try Airbnb confessions.
- Or Airbnb marketing in New York.
- Hotels should be worried.
- Want to buy a property just to rent out on Airbnb? Try Mashvisor.
Industry:
- Google invests in housecleaning as Peers member Homejoy hits it big. Homejoy is a Peers partner, but its “professional” employees are, according to Forbes, people who need to show proof of employment to receive government assistance, recruited through municipal employment services.
- DHL launches its MyWays delivery service, powered by “people who want to deliver parcels and earn some extra money”. Does Peers approve?
- Meanwhile, Flatclub is like Airbnb but only if you went to a fancy university. Sharing without the hoi polloi.
- There is a cynicism to the simplistic claim that “systems are broken” and that technology can fix them.
- Accenture continues to be interested.
- Lots of actual careers going at Uber (not drivers), Airbnb (not B&B owners), Homejoy (not cleaners).
Softball questions from the media:
- Forbes asks no difficult questions
- Wharton Business School cheerleads
- Inc.com gushes
- as do Australians.
Taxis and ridesharing:
- The Oversharing Economy?
- Lyft and Uber’s fleets.
- Uber is making a lot of money…
- and might be more valuable than Facebook someday. It certainly
- has big ambitions.
- Lyft hires ex-Netflix and Google “data scientist” (not a real job).
- Blablacar is more sharing than North American transit companies.
- But ride sharing is still very limited.
- Or you can share parking.
