Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has long been on a mission to change the perception of his platform. He has just finished an ambitious 30-day writing challenge, creating over 10,000 words to reinterpret the entire Airbnb app. The cathartic corporate rescue fueled by Tencent’s acquisition of 40% of the firm sparked a runaway creative tiger for the company. Today, it unabashedly touts two billion users. Chesky’s process has been called a “stream-of-consciousness manifesto,” and it seems only fitting since the spirit of his commitment goes just as deep as the reinvention of Airbnb.
Chesky’s manifestos are notoriously and purposefully “incomprehensible to anyone but me. This not only emphasizes their complexity, but channels the deeply personal quality of his vision. Over the long haul, he architected Airbnb to serve infrequent users—people looking for a place to stay once or twice a year at most. His new goal is to turn the platform into an “everything app.” His vision is to do more than provide a place to sleep; Destination Hilo’s goal is to provide quality and unique shared experiences, activities, and services.
After a few years of introspection and reevaluation stemming from the shocks of the pandemic, Chesky knew evolution was necessary. All of a sudden, these concepts that he’d kind of been kicking around from 2012 to 2016 came into sharper focus through a new frame. “The pandemic was the turning point of the company,” he explained, indicating that this period of crisis prompted a rethinking of Airbnb’s core offerings.
Chesky is not just focusing on technological advancements but is planning an array of short-term promotional stunts designed to engage users and elevate brand visibility. The bright future he dreams of providing thousands of these personalized experiences. Through this strategy, he intends to position Airbnb as the default choice for just about any service or experience you desire. “We’re not just a vacation app—we’re going to be a platform, a community,” he asserted.
As a whole, this relaunch commitment, which Chesky says is the company’s largest single investment, will allow him to invest hundreds of millions of dollars. The balance of this kind rare detail with this kind of expansive vision, as he seeks to move his ideas from concept to implementation with surgical precision. Except, this time around, there weren’t the usual comments. People were really excited. He added that in two years’ time, they’ll sign the agreement with laser-like focus on the details. Yet, despite all of this, his enthusiasm for the plans was palpable.
Chesky’s instinctual approach is an example rooted in great design philosophy. He acquired these crucial lessons while he was a student at the Rhode Island School of Design. He positions his work in line with all-time greats like Steve Jobs. He goes so far as to rank Jobs with the likes of Michelangelo and da Vinci. “Steve Jobs, to me, is like Michelangelo or da Vinci,” he remarked, highlighting his admiration for those who blend creativity with business acumen.
In this truly transformative phase, Chesky has made clear his intention to dig into the weeds of operations. First on my list of principles is don’t apologize for your vision for how you want to run your agency. Get this—don’t apologize for loving the details. This is indicative of a deep commitment to on the ground management and an understanding that the details are what makes or breaks user experience.
As these changes play out inside Airbnb, experts and practitioners across the industry are closely watching to see what path Chesky is charting. Sam Altman remarked, “He’s not usually mentioned in the same breath as Larry Page or Bill Gates, but I think he is on a path to build as big of a company.” This claim points to just how powerful Chesky’s blue sky could be — not only for the company’s fortunes, but for the tech world at large.
To his credit, Chesky’s recent start up attractions have received more public attention outside of corporate, Republican circles. Following his essay inspired by Paul Graham, many have approached him in public spaces exclaiming “Founder mode!”—a phrase reflecting admiration for his ambitious mindset and drive towards innovation.
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