Crash padder interview

Here it is the orignal Crashpadder interview:

What do you think makes Crashpadder exciting ?
For me, it’s meeting new people. I used to backpack a lot and now, with more commitments, work and all the other boring stuff, I rarely get away. One of the things I loved most about travelling was meeting other backpackers, swapping stories, exchanging travel books. Now I get to do that stuff in my own home. The extra income is pretty attractive too.

What is the idea of Crashpadder?
Crashpadder.com is a global community which allows guests to stay in a comfortable room in someone’;s home for a fair price, and empowers hosts to earn a little extra cash from their extra space. It is also a great way to meet new people with shared interests.

Couchsurfing is non comercial - with all the problems (not safe etc.) but Crashpadder is comercial so what can you do more then
couchsurfing?
As a host you get a little extra cash for renting out your spare room. As a guest you get a higher standard of room (we have beautiful rooms in 19th century mansions, entire flats in central London, etc also most of our rooms state wifi internet and hosts often provide meals.

What is the absolute Killertool of Crashpadder?
Hmmm… there are so many! The best part of the site is PadderPoints. Every time you are a host or a guest you earn points which can be used to claim free nights all over the world. You even earn points for joining, adding photos and inviting friends!

How many Users do you have actually (exact numbers are not necessary)?
We’re a very young community, but we’re growing fast. We launched back in November and now have over 500 users and 250 rooms in 18 countries but we’re growing fast - 100 of those rooms were added last week - so watch this space!

And at the end, some stuff about yourself.
I’ve been working with websites for the past few years and live in the countryside. I love to travel, walk, read and write. I hope to make Crashpadder my full time job one day, but until then I will continue to work in London for a design and development company.

You told me you were a Couchsurfer before you changed to Crashpadder. Why did you change?
To be honest, I haven’t changed. Of course I will use Crashpadder as much as I can, but I wouldn’t say negative things about Couchsurfing. It’s a great site and I recommend it to friends. The point is, Crashpadder.com’s a different site and will appeal to different people. I hope there is room for both Crashpadder and couchsurfing to do well now and in the future.

All the best, and let me know if you’re ever on London.

Stephen Rapoport
MD, Crashpadder

I think Stephen is a very nice person and so Crashpadder got a “bonus” in my view.