The Bull Case for Airbnb’s Future From Here On
It is open season on Airbnb in the media these days. After all, they are one of the Silicon Valley stars most impacted by the pandemic currently sweeping the globe. With travel at a near standstill, and us humans increasingly suspicious of each other the deadly germs we may or may not be carrying, it isn't likely that we are going to return to the same world that existed before the virus. Even travel influencers might need to get a real job.
It is open season on Airbnb in the media these days. After all, they are one of the Silicon Valley stars most impacted by the pandemic currently sweeping the globe. With travel at a near standstill, and us humans increasingly suspicious of each other the deadly germs we may or may not be carrying, it isn't likely that we are going to return to the same world that existed before the virus. Even travel influencers might need to get a real job.
Airbnb was poised to have a blockbuster 2020, but against this backdrop, it has hit a nausea-inducing air pocket. The public offering is off the table for now. And if the Wall Street Journal reports are to be believed, the guests and hosts are all up in arms about the company and some of its new policies. The Journal reporters suggest that the board of directors wants the company to take a hatchet to its costs. At the same time, the Journal reports that some potential investors are uncomfortable with the management team, including CEO Brian Chesky.
Given the dismal data, things currently look bad for the company and its three co-founders (Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk) not to mention its thousands of employees. But let's fast forward into the future. Will things remain as bad as they are at present, or will they improve? That is the billion-dollar question. And your answer to that question identifies you either as an Airbnb bull or a bear.