One of the big things about running a business is about being flexible and adaptable - particularly for a startup - there is even a cliched word that is bandied

One of the big things about running a business is about being flexible and adaptable - particularly for a startup - there is even a cliched word that is bandied about for extreme examples of this - pivot. The whole 'but if we do this it sets a precedent, it breaks our business model' is just an example of inflexibility. The circumstances that EJ is going through is not an outlier - it's a fundamental problem with their business model! Pretending it doesn't exist, pretending that they can protect their model by not helping EJ isn't going to make the problem go away. The only thing they should worry about now is making sure EJ has everything she needs. AirBnB's business model will no doubt adapt/change/pivot over the course of the lifespan of the business and few people will remember what it was in the past. What people will remember is their integrity and reputation - two things that AirBnB are burning to the ground at the moment. From the outside at least, it looks like AirBnB is focussed on protecting the former, when in fact, they should be protecting the latter.