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Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers


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?

Authors :: Thales S. Teixeira, Morgan Brown

Topics :: Sales & Marketing

Tags :: IT, Marketing, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers" written by Thales S. Teixeira, Morgan Brown includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Sided Etsy facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, IT, Marketing and Sales & Marketing.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers casestudy better are - – increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing transportation and logistics costs, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing energy prices, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Sided Etsy, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Sided Etsy operates in.

According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of the managers use SWOT analysis for various purposes such as – evaluating current scenario, strategic planning, new venture feasibility, personal growth goals, new market entry, Go To market strategies, portfolio management and strategic trade-off assessment, organizational restructuring, etc.




SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix


SWOT analysis of Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Sided Etsy
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Sales & Marketing field.
4. Making a Sales & Marketing topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Sided Etsy




Strengths Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Sided Etsy in Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers Harvard Business Review case study are -

Successful track record of launching new products

– Sided Etsy has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Sided Etsy has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.

Low bargaining power of suppliers

– Suppliers of Sided Etsy in the sector have low bargaining power. Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Sided Etsy to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

Strong track record of project management

– Sided Etsy is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.

Digital Transformation in Sales & Marketing segment

- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Sided Etsy digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Sided Etsy has successfully integrated the four key components of digital transformation – digital integration in processes, digital integration in marketing and customer relationship management, digital integration into the value chain, and using technology to explore new products and market opportunities.

High switching costs

– The high switching costs that Sided Etsy has built up over years in its products and services combo offer has resulted in high retention of customers, lower marketing costs, and greater ability of the firm to focus on its customers.

Organizational Resilience of Sided Etsy

– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Sided Etsy does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.

Superior customer experience

– The customer experience strategy of Sided Etsy in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.

Training and development

– Sided Etsy has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.

Analytics focus

– Sided Etsy is putting a lot of focus on utilizing the power of analytics in business decision making. This has put it among the leading players in the industry. The technology infrastructure suggested by Thales S. Teixeira, Morgan Brown can also help it to harness the power of analytics for – marketing optimization, demand forecasting, customer relationship management, inventory management, information sharing across the value chain etc.

High brand equity

– Sided Etsy has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Sided Etsy to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.

Innovation driven organization

– Sided Etsy is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

Sustainable margins compare to other players in Sales & Marketing industry

– Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Sided Etsy to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Sided Etsy to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.






Weaknesses Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers are -

Skills based hiring

– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Sided Etsy has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.

Products dominated business model

– Even though Sided Etsy has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.

Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy

– From the instances in the HBR case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers, it seems that the employees of Sided Etsy don’t have comprehensive understanding of the firm’s strategy. This is reflected in number of promotional campaigns over the last few years that had mixed messaging and competing priorities. Some of the strategic activities and services promoted in the promotional campaigns were not consistent with the organization’s strategy.

Need for greater diversity

– Sided Etsy has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Sided Etsy is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Sided Etsy needs to come up with a strategy to reduce the workers concern regarding automation. Without a clear strategy, it could lead to disruption and uncertainty within the organization.

High bargaining power of channel partners

– Because of the regulatory requirements, Thales S. Teixeira, Morgan Brown suggests that, Sided Etsy is facing high bargaining power of the channel partners. So far it has not able to streamline the operations to reduce the bargaining power of the value chain partners in the industry.

No frontier risks strategy

– After analyzing the HBR case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Sales & Marketing strategy. But it has very little resources allocation to manage the risks emerging from events such as natural disasters, climate change, melting of permafrost, tacking the rise of artificial intelligence, opportunities and threats emerging from commercialization of space etc.

High dependence on existing supply chain

– The disruption in the global supply chains because of the Covid-19 pandemic and blockage of the Suez Canal illustrated the fragile nature of Sided Etsy supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Sided Etsy vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers, is just above the industry average. Sided Etsy needs to redesign the compensation structure and incentives to increase the revenue per employees. Some of the steps that it can take are – hiring more specialists on project basis, etc.

Aligning sales with marketing

– It come across in the case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Sided Etsy is planning to shift buying processes online.




Opportunities Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers are -

Finding new ways to collaborate

– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Sales & Marketing industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Sided Etsy can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Sided Etsy to expand its talent hiring zone. According to McKinsey Global Institute, 20% of the high end workforce in fields such as finance, information technology, can continously work from remote local post Covid-19. This presents a really great opportunity for Sided Etsy to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Sided Etsy can make experimentation a productive activity and build a culture of innovation using approaches such as – mining transaction data, A/B testing of websites and selling platforms, engaging potential customers over various needs, and building on small ideas in the Sales & Marketing segment.

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Sided Etsy to conduct training and development for its employees across the world. This will result in not only reducing the cost of training but also help employees in different part of the world to integrate with the headquarter work culture, ethos, and standards.

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Sided Etsy can build a diversified supply chain model across various countries in - South East Asia, India, and other parts of the world. This reconfiguration of global supply chain can help, as suggested in case study, Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Sided Etsy is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers case study suggests that firm can utilize new technology to build more coordinated teams and streamline operations and communications using tools such as CAD, Zoom, etc.

Using analytics as competitive advantage

– Sided Etsy has spent a significant amount of money and effort to integrate analytics and machine learning into its operations in the sector. This continuous investment in analytics has enabled, as illustrated in the Harvard case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Sided Etsy to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.

Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19

– Consumer behavior has changed in the Sales & Marketing industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Sided Etsy can take advantage of these changes in consumer behavior to build a far more efficient business model. For example consumer regular ordering of products can reduce both last mile delivery costs and market penetration costs. Sided Etsy can further use this consumer data to build better customer loyalty, provide better products and service collection, and improve the value proposition in inflationary times.

Better consumer reach

– The expansion of the 5G network will help Sided Etsy to increase its market reach. Sided Etsy will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.

Reconfiguring business model

– The expansion of digital payment system, the bringing down of international transactions costs using Bitcoin and other blockchain based currencies, etc can help Sided Etsy to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.

Manufacturing automation

– Sided Etsy can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Sales & Marketing segment. It can use CAD and 3D printing to build a quick prototype and pilot testing products. It can leverage automation using machine learning and artificial intelligence to do faster production at lowers costs, and it can leverage the growth in satellite and tracking technologies to improve inventory management, transportation, and shipping.

Buying journey improvements

– Sided Etsy can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers suggest that firm can provide automated chats to help consumers solve their own problems, provide online suggestions to get maximum out of the products and services, and help consumers to build a community where they can interact with each other to develop new features and uses.

Developing new processes and practices

– Sided Etsy can develop new processes and procedures in Sales & Marketing industry using technology such as automation using artificial intelligence, real time transportation and products tracking, 3D modeling for concept development and new products pilot testing etc.




Threats Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers are -

Regulatory challenges

– Sided Etsy needs to prepare for regulatory challenges as consumer protection groups and other pressure groups are vigorously advocating for more regulations on big business - to reduce inequality, to create a level playing field, to product data privacy and consumer privacy, to reduce the influence of big money on democratic institutions, etc. This can lead to significant changes in the Sales & Marketing industry regulations.

Environmental challenges

– Sided Etsy needs to have a robust strategy against the disruptions arising from climate change and energy requirements. EU has identified it as key priority area and spending 30% of its 880 billion Euros European post Covid-19 recovery funds on green technology. Sided Etsy can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry.

Increasing wage structure of Sided Etsy

– Post Covid-19 there is a sharp increase in the wages especially in the jobs that require interaction with people. The increasing wages can put downward pressure on the margins of Sided Etsy.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Sided Etsy can face lack of demand in the market place because of Fed actions to reduce inflation. This can lead to sluggish growth in the economy, lower demands, lower investments, higher borrowing costs, and consolidation in the field.

High dependence on third party suppliers

– Sided Etsy high dependence on third party suppliers can disrupt its processes and delivery mechanism. For example -the current troubles of car makers because of chip shortage is because the chip companies started producing chips for electronic companies rather than car manufacturers.

Backlash against dominant players

– US Congress and other legislative arms of the government are getting tough on big business especially technology companies. The digital arm of Sided Etsy business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Sided Etsy has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Sales & Marketing industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Sided Etsy needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Sales & Marketing sector. According to Mckinsey study top managers believe that the adoption of technology in operations, communications is 20-25 times faster than what they planned in the beginning of 2019.

Instability in the European markets

– European Union markets are facing three big challenges post Covid – expanded balance sheets, Brexit related business disruption, and aggressive Russia looking to distract the existing security mechanism. Sided Etsy will face different problems in different parts of Europe. For example it will face inflationary pressures in UK, France, and Germany, balance sheet expansion and demand challenges in Southern European countries, and geopolitical instability in the Eastern Europe.

Capital market disruption

– During the Covid-19, Dow Jones has touched record high. The valuations of a number of companies are way beyond their existing business model potential. This can lead to capital market correction which can put a number of suppliers, collaborators, value chain partners in great financial difficulty. It will directly impact the business of Sided Etsy.

Consumer confidence and its impact on Sided Etsy demand

– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.

Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins

– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Sided Etsy can face downward pressure on margins from increasing competition from international players. The international players have stable revenue in their home market and can use those resources to penetrate prominent markets illustrated in HBR case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers .

Barriers of entry lowering

– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Sided Etsy with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.

High level of anxiety and lack of motivation

– the Great Resignation in United States is the sign of broader dissatisfaction among the workforce in United States. Sided Etsy needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Sales & Marketing industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers Template, Example


Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants. We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –

First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.

Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.

Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Sided Etsy needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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