It?s a story enshrined in tech history: in 2007, two entrepreneurs struggling to make rent in pricey San Francisco latched onto a novel idea. A design conference was coming to town and hotels were sold out. The pair decided to throw three air mattresses into their loft, charge $80 per person (breakfast included), and advertise the nightly rentals on a new, custom-built website. In their first weekend of hosting, cofounder Joe Gebbia said in a 2009 interview, they netted close to $1,000. Several failed launches, a name and logo change, and 100 million guests later, Airbnb is now a $30 billion company. Amidst Airbnb?s growing influence and slick PR campaigns, it?s easy to forget why Nathan Blecharczyk, Brian Chesky, and Joe Gebbia founded the company; the men "had to figure out a way to bring in some extra income" to pay their increased rent. Today, rent in U.S. cities is higher than ever and, ironically, some believe Airbnb has made the housing crisis worse. Still others applaud "home-sharing" services because Airbnb allows hosts to make extra money. In cities across the United States, a battle is raging to determine the future of short-term rentals and the "sharing economy," with high stakes for both Airbnb and the cities in which it operates. Increased regulations could seriously impact the company?s bottom line. And because of Airbnb, local governments are struggling to enforce rental laws and grappling with new commercial enterprises i...