Is this a risk waiting to explode? I mean at some point someone will have a IMF chief type incident at a Airbnb booked type service right? Will the startup survive the resulting lawsuit and media flairup? I wish them all the best but personally I would not use nor invest in this service. Think PG's initial gut instinct was right.
There is a certain market for CouchSurfing like websites. Think imdb. These sites are like the ghetto shops of Delhi or Cairo. Sure you can have all the shiny showrooms, but people will still want to buy from these.<p>EDIT: I meant it in the context of the UI and design of the websites.
vs CouchSurfing, a totally free service. But there are good reasons AirBnb is in no way threatened by CouchSurfing. For a start it is contractual, and that matters when it comes to accommodation because people want security.