What kind of customer segment would a site like Airbnb be? You have travelers and house owners. Multiside?

I would say its an example of a multi-sided market. In this video Pasan describes a multi-sided market as consisting of "interdependent customer segments".

In the case of Airbnb you have Hosts - people with rooms to rent, and Guests - people who are looking to rent rooms. The business wouldn't work without the existence of both of these segments, therefore they are interdependent.

Hope this helps!

Also they are renting full decorated apartments for longer terms. So what you cover in the question about housing and room renting is true. What James says is absolutely right!

Great concept and website thought!

Airbnb is an example of a specific type of business called a "market-maker"... their business is based on bringing buyers and sellers together, and then selling additional services to them.

Ebay is a good example of this kind of business, but the model is not new... the New York Stock Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange are also market-makers.

How can I get more information on the Multi sided market? Does anybody know any good books or videos online?