I made a mental list of all the other companies that already existed that offered the ability to rent someone’s home or space in it: HomeAway, VRBO, Couchsurfing, BedandBreakfast.com. I wondered how this new company could be so different. What is it about these tech start-ups, I remember grousing to a colleague, that think they can take an old, unoriginal idea; gloss it up with a slick, minimalist, design-friendly website; and re-release it back onto the marketplace as something new?
