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  • May 2016 (Revised January 2018)
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Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers

By: Thales S. Teixeira and Morgan Brown
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:17
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Abstract

By 2016, two-sided online platforms (or marketplaces) were pervasive among the highest growing internet startups around. These marketplaces sought to match suppliers of assets for rent, physical products or services with customers demanding them. Among the most notable two-sided platforms in terms of their tremendous early growth were Airbnb, Etsy and Uber. They offered short-term property rentals, handcrafted goods, and car rides, respectively. As two-sided markets grew to scale, network effects kicked in as more consumers bred more suppliers and vice versa. But how did these platforms acquire their first customers, at the time when they had so few providers? How exactly did they go about acquiring their first thousand customers?

Keywords

Airbnb; Etsy; Uber; Growth Hacking; Two-sided Market; Internet and the Web; Marketing Strategy; Digital Platforms; Digital Marketing; Business Startups; Transportation Industry; Accommodations Industry

Citation

Teixeira, Thales S., and Morgan Brown. "Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers." Harvard Business School Case 516-094, May 2016. (Revised January 2018.)
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Related Work

    • May 2016 (Revised January 2018)
    • Faculty Research

    Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers

    By: Thales S. Teixeira and Morgan Brown
Related Work
  • Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers By: Thales S. Teixeira and Morgan Brown
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