Hardware Podcasts

How I Built Resilience: Brian Chesky of Airbnb

How I Built This · 13 Aug 2020 · 23m

What this episode covers

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky discusses how the company survived an 80% drop in business during the pandemic by raising $2 billion, laying off 25% of staff with generous severance, and pivoting to domestic travel. He details the shift from international tourism to 'drive-to' destinations, national parks, and unique accommodations like RVs and treehouses, while implementing new cleaning protocols and Wi-Fi verification for remote workers. Chesky also reflects on the emotional difficulty of leadership during crisis, the decision to resume the IPO process, and the realization that Airbnb's core mission is connection rather than just travel.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Airbnb, U.S. Bank
Products
Obama O's, Frontline Stays, Enhanced Cleaning Protocol
Also
Joe Gebia

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