Airbnb

Working Geek: After startup stint, Ari Steinberg leads Airbnb’s operations in Seattle

by Lisa Stiffler on February 2, 2019February 5, 2019 at 9:05 pm1 Comment

Ari Steinberg wanted to start a company when he graduated from Stanford University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science. He tried to convince his three college roommates to join… Read More

Long-time Amazon exec Dave Stephenson to join Airbnb as its new CFO

by Frank Catalano on November 26, 2018November 26, 2018 at 7:05 am1 Comment

Veteran Amazon executive — and one-time president of Big Fish Games — Dave Stephenson is joining Airbnb as its chief financial officer. In an announcement Monday morning, Airbnb said the… Read More

Video

Want to work at Amazon? Former ‘Bar Raiser’ launches startup to prepare candidates for tech giant’s grueling interview process

by Kurt Schlosser on November 20, 2018November 20, 2018 at 11:26 am 2 Comments

In his five years at Amazon, Nick Dimitrov learned a thing or two about what it takes to interview stronger and land a job with the tech giant. Despite the… Read More

Vacation rental company Vacasa moves deeper into big cities with new apartment leasing offering

by Nat Levy on November 14, 2018November 13, 2018 at 11:15 pmComment

Vacasa today unveiled a new program to add apartments and condos in big cities to its growing vacation rental platform. Under the new program, called Vacasa Multifamily, the company signs… Read More

Video

Uber drivers are earning less, Airbnb hosts are making more, and other insights from a new study on the gig economy

by Monica Nickelsburg on September 24, 2018September 24, 2018 at 4:08 pm 3 Comments

In average monthly payments, Uber drivers are earning less than half what they made back in 2013, when on-demand transportation apps were just picking up steam. But others taking advantage… Read More

Dolly expands moving app across U.S., hits $1M in monthly revenue and 100K customers

by Taylor Soper on September 18, 2018September 18, 2018 at 10:50 amComment

After browsing online for hours on Sunday, Mike Howell finally found a refrigerator he liked. There was one problem, however. The shipment wouldn’t arrive until the second week of October.… Read More

Tech Moves: Airbnb hires Groupon CMO, former eBay exec; Moz CPO joins BrandVerity; and more

by Clare McGrane on September 6, 2018September 6, 2018 at 1:14 pmComment

Just three months after it opened its new Seattle office, Airbnb is making an even stronger bet on the city with a top-level executive hire. Vinayak Hegde, formerly the chief… Read More

Why this new Silicon Valley seed-stage VC firm thinks it can win — and why it’s focusing on Seattle

by Taylor Soper on July 20, 2018July 20, 2018 at 10:56 amComment

David Rosenthal knows about the dearth of early-stage financing options available to entrepreneurs in the Seattle region. The venture capitalist spent four years working in the heart of Seattle’s startup… Read More

Video

TLDR: UW lecturer on ‘Why Women Don’t Code,’ Airbnb in Seattle, thousands line up for Shake Shack

by Starla Sampaco on June 25, 2018June 26, 2018 at 6:15 amComment

Today’s featured stories University of Washington lecturer’s essay on ‘Why Women Don’t Code’ stirs controversy Airbnb opens big new Seattle office with room for 300 people, setting down permanent roots… Read More

Airbnb opens big new Seattle office with room for 300 people, setting down permanent roots

by Nat Levy on June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 at 2:47 pmComment

Airbnb has opened a new office in Seattle with room for more than 300 people, making it the latest tech titan to set down permanent roots in the Emerald City.… Read More

Top Pacific Northwest startup funding rounds of 2017: Remitly, Rover, Vacasa lead the way

by Taylor Soper on December 31, 2017January 4, 2018 at 1:40 pmComment

Plenty of Pacific Northwest startups raised big funding rounds this year to fuel their growth in 2017 and beyond. The largest round was a $115 million cash infusion for Remitly, which… Read More

Seattle approves new Airbnb regulations to limit short-term rentals to 2 units per host

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 11, 2017December 11, 2017 at 4:31 pm 4 Comments

New Airbnb operators in Seattle will not be able to rent out more than two units on the popular short-term rental platform under new rules passed by the Seattle City… Read More

Short-term rental startup Stay Alfred does biggest deal yet, leasing 10 floors in Nashville high-rise

by Nat Levy on November 22, 2017November 22, 2017 at 2:28 pmComment

Stay Alfred, the Spokane, Wash. startup that rents out downtown apartments and turns them into short-term rentals, has completed its biggest deal yet. Stay Alfred said it has master-leased 10… Read More

Vancouver, B.C. cracks down on Airbnb with tough new short-term rental regulations

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 16, 2017November 16, 2017 at 11:49 am 7 Comments

Vancouver, B.C. has passed a set of stringent regulations in an attempt to curb the proliferation of Airbnbs and free up more long-term housing supply for residents, the New York… Read More

Seattle lawmakers approve new Airbnb tax, charging short-term rental hosts $8-$14/night

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 13, 2017November 13, 2017 at 9:57 pm 4 Comments

The Seattle City Council approved a new tax on short-term rentals Monday, taking the first step toward regulating hosts who rent out their properties using sites like Airbnb and VRBO.… Read More

Video

Vacation rental company Vacasa raises $103M, takes on giants Airbnb and HomeAway with unique approach

by Taylor Soper on October 17, 2017October 17, 2017 at 3:21 pmComment

Even a decade ago, finding and renting a vacation home online wasn’t always a smooth process. It was equally difficult for homeowners to expose their properties to potential guests. But… Read More

Loftium co-founder expects Airbnb revenue share to become a ‘standard’ down payment source for homebuyers

by Monica Nickelsburg on October 4, 2017October 4, 2017 at 1:44 pmComment

Yifan Zhang believes that in the next five to 10 years, prospective home buyers will have three standard options for coming up with a down payment: Save, ask for a… Read More

Loftium will help you buy a house if you agree to Airbnb a bedroom and split the profits

by Monica Nickelsburg on September 18, 2017September 18, 2017 at 8:46 amComment

Laura Coe never expected to buy a house before she was 30. The 29-year-old Microsoft finance manager has been renting in Seattle since she moved here in 2010, and remaining… Read More

Podcast

Week in Geek Podcast: Why everyone hated this Amazon patent, Seattle’s Airbnb tax, Equifax FAQ

by Clare McGrane on September 16, 2017September 16, 2017 at 8:16 amComment

Patents are pretty unpopular in the software world, and this week one of the most unpopular patents ever — held by Amazon — expired. The patent was for the technology that… Read More

Seattle plans to tax Airbnb operators $10/night and limit short-term rentals to 2 properties per host

by Monica Nickelsburg on September 13, 2017September 13, 2017 at 10:36 am 13 Comments

The Seattle City Council has released a new set of regulations designed to prevent property owners from operating Airbnbs and other short-term rentals as if they were hotels — part… Read More

Tech in the era of extremism: How the industry is grappling with its new political reality

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 18, 2017August 19, 2017 at 7:26 am 3 Comments

Ride-hailing giant Uber sent a message to its riders and drivers expressing outrage over the deadly white nationalist demonstration in Charlottesville, Va., and support for a driver who kicked Nazis… Read More

Boatsetter brings Boatbound aboard, acquiring Seattle-based ship-sharing startup

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 18, 2017May 13, 2019 at 9:21 am1 Comment

Boatbound has found a new captain. The Seattle startup that operates an Airbnb-like marketplace for boat owners has been acquired by Boatsetter, a bigger boat-sharing marketplace. Boatbound launched in San Francisco… Read More

Airbnb cements Seattle presence, establishing permanent office with room for 300 people

by Nat Levy on June 15, 2017June 15, 2017 at 9:57 am1 Comment

Airbnb is putting down permanent roots in Seattle with a major new office that makes the vacation rentals company the latest well-known tech brand to grow rapidly in the region… Read More

Seattle goes after commercial Airbnb operators with revised rules for short-term rentals

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 24, 2017April 25, 2017 at 10:28 am 5 Comments

The Seattle City Council is taking a new approach to regulating short-term rentals, hoping to crack down on businesses that operate Airbnbs like hotels while still allowing residents to rent… Read More

Airbnb ‘Trips’ launches in Seattle offering tourist activities from local experts

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 4, 2017April 5, 2017 at 10:57 amComment

Travelers visiting Seattle can now book a catered breakfast beneath the Seattle Aquarium’s underwater dome through Airbnb. The “Seas the Day!” event is part of Airbnb Trips, a feature that… Read More

Podcast

Working Geek: After startup stint, Ari Steinberg leads Airbnb’s operations in Seattle

Long-time Amazon exec Dave Stephenson to join Airbnb as its new CFO

Want to work at Amazon? Former ‘Bar Raiser’ launches startup to prepare candidates for tech giant’s grueling interview process

Vacation rental company Vacasa moves deeper into big cities with new apartment leasing offering

Dolly expands moving app across U.S., hits $1M in monthly revenue and 100K customers

Tech Moves: Airbnb hires Groupon CMO, former eBay exec; Moz CPO joins BrandVerity; and more

Why this new Silicon Valley seed-stage VC firm thinks it can win — and why it’s focusing on Seattle

TLDR: UW lecturer on ‘Why Women Don’t Code,’ Airbnb in Seattle, thousands line up for Shake Shack

Airbnb opens big new Seattle office with room for 300 people, setting down permanent roots

Top Pacific Northwest startup funding rounds of 2017: Remitly, Rover, Vacasa lead the way

Seattle approves new Airbnb regulations to limit short-term rentals to 2 units per host

Short-term rental startup Stay Alfred does biggest deal yet, leasing 10 floors in Nashville high-rise

Seattle lawmakers approve new Airbnb tax, charging short-term rental hosts $8-$14/night

Vacation rental company Vacasa raises $103M, takes on giants Airbnb and HomeAway with unique approach

Loftium co-founder expects Airbnb revenue share to become a ‘standard’ down payment source for homebuyers

Loftium will help you buy a house if you agree to Airbnb a bedroom and split the profits

Week in Geek Podcast: Why everyone hated this Amazon patent, Seattle’s Airbnb tax, Equifax FAQ

Seattle plans to tax Airbnb operators $10/night and limit short-term rentals to 2 properties per host

Airbnb cements Seattle presence, establishing permanent office with room for 300 people

Seattle goes after commercial Airbnb operators with revised rules for short-term rentals

Airbnb ‘Trips’ launches in Seattle offering tourist activities from local experts

‘Upstarts’ author Brad Stone on Uber’s scandals, Airbnb’s regulatory fight, and lessons from Amazon

Stay Alfred raises $15M to expand lodging business that rents apartments like hotels

Report: Airbnb ‘Flights’ service is about to take off, increasing competition with Expedia

Postmates ordered to pay 2+ years of workers’ comp premiums for more than 3,000 couriers

Black Women Founders Creating Change Through Tech

Candidate Night Out

Flynn Coleman: A Human Algorithm Reading