How Clever Entrepreneurs Turned 3 Air Mattresses Into Airbnb, The Site That Makes Any Home A Bed And Breakfast – with Brian and Joe
The founders of Airbnb are guys who couldn’t make rent a few years ago, but they kept turning desperation into creative solutions. In October 2007, eager to make extra money, they noticed that local hotels were booked up because of a conference. So they pumped up some inflatable mattresses and listed their place online as an “air bed and breakfast.” It was quirky and it worked. That little act of creativity became Airbnb, the (profitable) site that allows anyone to list their extra space for rent.
This interview is full of examples of that kind of hustle, like how they created and sold cereal called “Obama O’s.” That idea brought in a much-needed $30,000, but more importantly, it impressed investor Paul Graham of Y Combinator, who backed them. They jumped on that opportunity too, seizing every chance they could find to get Graham’s advice. His mentorship helped their company become profitable.
Along the way, they got impressive media hits by crafting interesting stories, improved their design by sleeping in their users’ homes and kept changing their product based on feedback. In this interview, they teach you how they did it.
Brian Chesky & Joe Gebbia
Airbnb
Brian Chesky & Joe Gebbia are two of the co-founders of Airbnb. (The third co-founder is Nathan Blecharczyk.) Airbnb is a marketplace for renting space. Their open platform accommodates a ‘couch to a castle’, including vacation rentals, bed and breakfast, private rooms, and entire apartments. Travelers typically save money and get a local experience, while hosts have an easy way to earn extra cash and meet new people.
Interviewer introduction: Before we get started, I’ve got to tell you that the interview you are about to watch was a bear to edit. You are going to have a little bit of hiccups throughout the interview. But, I tell you something; the content here was so good I did not want to let these guys off the phone. We went longer off the phone off Skype. We went longer than we ordinarily do because the quality was so good (the quality of the information, not the quality of the connection). In fact, pay attention to the serial story that they tell somewhere about 40% into the interview. You guys are going to love that.Alright. I should say that the editing and so much of the work here is sponsored for, paid by and supported by these three great companies: The first is Grasshopper, the virtual phone system that entrepreneurs love. Because with Grasshopper, you get the extensions and everything you that you want with a robust phone system. You can manage it online and use a regular...
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