ok...
this photo thing is just the tip of the iceberg.
management started this thread so they’re monitoring it as well...maybe...and it’s one of the most commented threads in this community.
Im wondering why there’s been no response other than an alleged settings change which is so contrary to the culture here it’s feeling like Darth Vader is about to annihilate Alderon.
coincidentally (?) I was traveling by air last week and saw a beautiful glossy hard copy magazine on the airport news stand called “Air BnB.” I used to publish, so i know what goes into it, and it was very nicely done- no expense spared. Beautiful photography, layout, expensive ads, glowing goodwill human interest stories and Air BnB experiences from around the globe:
https://www.airbnb.com/magazine
When I got on the plane I discovered a second magazine with Air BnB associations. The cover feature in Southwest Airlines January 2019 issue of “Spirit” their onboard publication, featured a black and white minimalist portrait of a man and promotional article about Air BnBs founders’ collaboration with the “business guru” on the cover who was hired by ABB a few years ago, and worked his way up to become an intimate primary resource in shaping the business culture. you can read the article here:
https://issuu.com/southwestmag/docs/january2019/54?ff
combined with the timing of these other news releases below and others...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/opinion/articles/2018-02-09/airbnb-ipo-woes-brian...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.geekwire.com/2018/2019-blockbuster-year-tech-ipos-uber-lyft-slack-a...
...i’m realizing the feeling of ‘WTF’ everyone’s expressing here is the seismic shock within Air BnB that’s finally reaching us—the millions of minions on the ground who carried the torch and made it real and helped elevate it from a yoga mat on the living room floor in a modest San Fransisco apartment by 2 room mates trying to make rent, to a warm and fuzzy global community of change with expanding positive zeitgeist, elegance, comfort. Together, we grew a multi billion dollar “unicorn” that’s about to be (sacrificed or glorified) on the old school IPO altar (depending on your point of view).
As the world considers how to create new win-win, heart-based sharing economies that serve the people as well as the company, one of the originals will be selling a significant portion of its innards to the highest bidders.
It doesn’t have to be a bad thing, but the way things are happening it sure feels like it might not be that great, especially for those of us on the ground bringing in those booking fees every day.
The 2018 news article about business investments made with company money by an old school finance suit that went against the philosophy of the founders, indicates significant funds/profits are tied up in current old school wall street market investments...and then there’s the news of Air BnB stock going public (more old school) maybe as early as june, meaning...
For better or worse our culture here is changing, this is how we’re finding out, we really don’t have any say, unless we all shout out...
Can our personal investment in the original philosophies measure up against the old school capitalist “carrot and pony” financial spiel? It was the pure inspired innovation and group culture that grew air BnB...and Old school finance is what’s gotten us exactly where this crazy world is.
The world is crying for innovation.
Yes, this model could benefit from some modifications...and the users are in a great position to offer insight, and here we are!
Maybe this world isn’t ready for big business with Heart? Maybe the founders are tired and prefer to profit as much as they can from thier company regardless of the outcome...?
Air BnB is known as a “unicorn” in a hard core capitalist market that doesn’t want to change. It often protects its interests by “takeovers and mergers” aka owning or destroying the competition (eating unicorns).
The Legend of The Unicorn says only the pure of heart can see it and work with its magic...and this financial landscape is anything but pure, especially at the top.
Forgive the mixing of magical metaphors, but I feel like we hosts in this forum are collectively the Mayor of Who-vile in the Dr Seuss story ‘Horton Hears A Who,’ desperately trying to save his community and our world by asking everyone to yell “We’re here!” as loud and as repetitively as we can until the evil non-believers do hear us and pause their dastardly plan to boil us to a crisp in a cauldron of bubbling oil:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horton_Hears_a_Who!
We’re the beings on the spec of dust no one can hear except Horton (the founders), Horton's been proclaimed insane by the townspeople who don’t get it and don’t want to hear it (the old school) as Hirton tries to protect that spec of dust upon which a whole community resides (Air BnB), and we Who’s may still have the ability to make a difference in the fate of our community.
Are you listening, management?
What amazes me is, if Mr Chesky didn’t want to go public, why didn’t he come to us?
Many of us listed here because of the innovative community culture and Spirit. we care, we want this to continue, and we’d like more say. There are many successful employee owned companies, and when there’s personal investment, we work hard to maintain and grow. So many of us have demonstrated this already working under this Air BnB umbrella with our listings/opening our homes.
If all of us invested in what we believe in here, we could keep the company private and maybe even have a say in how things roll (have input), in true community spirit.
I’d really love to hear something indicating even tepid interest from the management in our 650 and growing comments in this thread, because right now, it’s feeling and looking like we just lost our value as participants in this endeavor... other than being faceless profit centers, which we could experience elsewhere.
If the competitors buy up enough stock, Air BnB could become like the others, or be put on a shelf to eliminate the competition, just like many other “unicorns.” (remember Lycos and Myspace?)
Thank you for reading my “rant.” I’ve shared my thoughts with management otherwise as well.
I hope it makes a difference.