By Antonia Cancino
Changing the hotel industry? Transportation? Years ago, nobody imagined this was possible, but those who dared to make the change now stand as the most successful companies.
This is the case of Amazon, Airbnb, and Uber, organizations that not only challenged the business model but also disrupted the ways of legislating and the lifestyle of their consumers.
How did they do it? We’ll tell you about it here
The revolution in the shopping/retail system: Amazon, founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos, is recognized for changing the shopping paradigm.
In its early days, it faced tough competition from e-commerce giants like eBay and Barnes & Noble. However, Amazon opted for a key resource in disruption: differentiation, offering a wider selection of products and an easier-to-use website. Additionally, the company pioneered the use of customer reviews and ratings, which helped build trust with buyers and establish itself as a trusted retailer.
By the late '90s, Amazon expanded into new markets, such as selling music and video, and launching its own loyalty program that allowed other websites to earn commissions by promoting Amazon products.
Today it is a global e-commerce giant and one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Changing the world of lodging: in 2008, Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk couldn't make ends meet and couldn't afford their rent in San Francisco. The city was highly frequented for seminars and conferences, but all hotels were always fully booked. So they improvised a Bed and Breakfast and started accepting guests.
In its early days, the company faced several challenges. For example, it struggled to attract users and convince homeowners to list their properties on the platform. But as the company grew, it gained a reputation for being a reliable and convenient way to book short-term rentals, and it began to attract a wider audience.
In 2011, the company received $112 million in funding and has grown exponentially since then, with over 5 million listings in more than 220 countries and territories. Airbnb has also expanded beyond lodging, offering various types of experiences, both online and offline, created by local hosts.
Like all disruptive changes, the company has also faced legal challenges throughout its history, as well as opposition from governments and housing communities.
It is currently one of the most valuable private companies in the world and has become synonymous with the sharing economy.
Ordering transportation from an app? Impossible! This was probably the reaction of many of us when we were told that with just an app, someone could transport you from one place to another.
The company founded in 2009 by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp was born when Kalanick couldn't find a taxi in Paris in 2008. He and Kalanick came up with the concept of an "Uber taxi" service, which would allow users to order a ride through their smartphones. The word "taxi" had to be removed from the name due to legal issues in San Francisco.
Over the years, Uber rapidly expanded to other cities worldwide. The company's business model was simple: it acted as an intermediary between users and drivers, taking a percentage of the fare for each trip. This allowed the company to grow quickly without having to invest in its own fleet of vehicles.
As an expansion, Uber also expanded its range of services, launching UberX, UberPOOL, and UberEATS, a food delivery service.
What change would you make to disrupt?
