Why Uber and Airbnb Should Copy Spotify with a Direct Listing

A month after debuting on the New York Stock Exchange by going public without selling new shares—an unprecedented direct listing—it is clear that Spotify’s experiment was a success. The Swedish music streaming company is trading 21% higher than where its stock traded in the private market immediately before its public listing.

Other tech companies should consider following suit. Here’s two that would be ideal candidates: Uber and Airbnb, both expected to go public in the next year or two.