This Week in Startups

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky on early rejection, customer focus & AI’s future in hospitality | E1735

May 4, 2023

Brian Chesky, CEO and Co-founder of Airbnb, shares insights into the company’s early struggles with rejection and how they shaped his resilient spirit. He discusses restructuring Airbnb to prioritize product and customer satisfaction, while addressing challenges in marketing and remote work. Chesky highlights the transformative potential of AI in the hospitality industry, explaining how it can personalize user experiences and enhance customer interactions. His unique perspective on complaint resolution and innovation provides valuable lessons for founders and leaders.

01:09:23

Creator website

Episode guests

Brian Chesky

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Pivoting after learning from Steve jobs

04:08

Blueprinted all customer complaints

01:32

Rejection - investors

00:43

Productivity and Global Talent Pool in Modern Work Environments

01:25

Intro

2min

From Rejection to Resilience

12min

The Evolution of Live Streaming and Startup Challenges

3min

Streamlining Success: A Company’s Transformation

8min

Fostering Collaboration and Maintaining Focus in Startups

3min

Refining Airbnb's Business Model

10min

Embracing Constraints for Creative Success

3min

Enhancing Airbnb: Priorities for Improvement

8min

AI Transformations in Travel and Creativity

20min

Airbnb CEO and Co-Founder Brian Chesky joins Jason to tell the story of Airbnb’s early startup struggles (1:29) and discuss how the company has restructured operations to heighten focus on the product and its customers (16:05). They dive into addressing customer complaints, hyper-focused marketing, the AI opportunity for Airbnb, and much more (40:26).

(0:00) Airbnb’s Brain Chesky joins Jason

(1:29) Brian’s experience with early rejection

(14:48) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(16:05) Airbnb’s company structure and focusing on product first

(25:26) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups

(26:42) Staying focused, getting permission from your customers, and Airbnb’s new updates

(38:53) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist

(40:26) Addressing customer complaints and Brian’s philosophy on remote work

(49:23) AI’s future in hospitality and Brian’s personal experience with ChatGPT

FOLLOW Brian: https://twitter.com/bchesky

FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

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