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Uber disrupted taxi companies. AirBnB disrupted the hotel industry. Both used technology to get there (there were no apps to hail taxis anywhere near feature

Uber disrupted taxi companies. AirBnB disrupted the hotel industry. Both used technology to get there (there were no apps to hail taxis anywhere near feature parity with Uber for instance). They also leveraged the distribution mechanisms of the app store to reach scale. > Wasn't their "innovation" flaunting the law to gain a temporary advantage before regulation leveled the field again? Whether you view it that way or not (I don't) it doesn't change the fact that these companies successfully disrupted established players. It doesn't matter if it was "innovative" (again I think it was), the end result was textbook disruption.

ThomPete 8y ago
Uber and airbnb outcompeted them by offering lower prices and disregarded obviously outdated laws. The phone was what actually disrupted the industry not the actual services.
- JackFr 8y ago
  > disregarded obviously outdated laws That's disruption?
  - ThomPete 8y ago
    Not in its technical sense but if you want to understand what they did its important to take into account as it obviously worked.
- paulgrant999 8y ago
  > and disregarded obviously outdated laws. I'm sorry. Did you just say that Uber and AirBNB can unilaterally break the law, because they deem them "outdated"? What do you think a class action suit, on behalf of all those people, who are following the laws, to claw back profits from Uber/AirBNB would do to your "outcompeting" companies?
smelendez 8y ago
Airbnb in particular benefited from the existence of other technology they didn't directly employ, mostly related to smartphones: ubiquitous cameras for hosts to take pictures, reliable taxi service from Uber and its rivals making more areas viable for tourists, high quality mapping apps to let people see what neighborhoods are fun and convenient. Cellphones in general mean hosts don't have to provide TVs, landline phones, alarm clocks, paper maps, newspapers, etc. that were traditionally in hotel rooms.

ThomPete 8y ago

Uber and airbnb outcompeted them by offering lower prices and disregarded obviously outdated laws. The phone was what actually disrupted the industry not the actual services.

JackFr 8y ago
> disregarded obviously outdated laws That's disruption?
- ThomPete 8y ago
  Not in its technical sense but if you want to understand what they did its important to take into account as it obviously worked.
paulgrant999 8y ago
> and disregarded obviously outdated laws. I'm sorry. Did you just say that Uber and AirBNB can unilaterally break the law, because they deem them "outdated"? What do you think a class action suit, on behalf of all those people, who are following the laws, to claw back profits from Uber/AirBNB would do to your "outcompeting" companies?

smelendez 8y ago

Airbnb in particular benefited from the existence of other technology they didn't directly employ, mostly related to smartphones: ubiquitous cameras for hosts to take pictures, reliable taxi service from Uber and its rivals making more areas viable for tourists, high quality mapping apps to let people see what neighborhoods are fun and convenient. Cellphones in general mean hosts don't have to provide TVs, landline phones, alarm clocks, paper maps, newspapers, etc. that were traditionally in hotel rooms.