“Have you heard of this Airbnb thing?”
I know this man in his 60s. He is saving towards his final years before retirement and asked me “have you heard of this Airbnb thing?” (being a geek in this space it was hard to say NO.) The man continued, “Now that’s a good business”
This man, let’s call his Morris, loved Airbnb
After learning about it just 6 months ago he was praising it, “They take care of marketing and make things simple, you can make an extra wage with this thing.” He’s now a regular member and enjoys how Airbnb can supply him with additional income over the coming years. It was clear he was excited to tell people around him about his experience.
I recently moved to London and sold some furniture to a few 20 somethings. When they came for the sofas I asked one girl why she was buying them – she asked, “have you heard of this Airbnb thing?” …
It’s a good business when your brand is easily understood and appreciated by two diverse customer groups. It’s a GREAT business considering Morris is a New England suburban father that manages a restaurant + bar and doesn’t FB, consume apps or make online transactions.
Uber (if you haven't heard of it) is quite poised to make even louder noise as it transcends it’s original mission further and reaches more customers with unique opportunities.
I explained to Morris how Uber’s model works. He had a hard time at first, so I explained Uber as getting an instant taxi service without having to find a number, call someone, provide your address or payment preference.
Morris nodded, understanding a bit more
I went on, “it’s cleaner than normal taxis and can come in a variety of sorts, e.g S-Class Benz loaded with champagne, TV, tablets, wireless set-up, etc.” He was getting the idea a bit more now
I explained their brand DNA - how they are curious and give memorable experiences a boost – providing on demand rose delivery for Valentine’s day and July 4th private car service + a helicopter trips to Hampton parties. To top things off, Uber’s CEO, Travis K., has discussed a taxi killing pricing formula that is sure to make things interesting for competition and Uber users.
The best part for Morris is Uber offers someone like him the chance to use their existing car, drive it around, meet interesting folks and make $2500/month for a part-time gig 3-5 hours a day”
After that, Morris finally understood it, “now that’s a good business.”
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R.W. is a London-based ex-tech MD, international explorer and enthusiast for things Growing & SoLoMoGlo.
