August 1, 2020
The Airbnb Story: How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions…
Leigh Gallagher
A fascinating and inspirational story on how two unemployed Rhode Island School of Design grads and their tech buddy transformed the lodging industry. From its beginnings in the depths of the financial crisis, to its seven million active listings today (compared with the 1.38 million rooms at the leading hotel company Marriott International), the author digs deep into how these three men complemented each other and persevered through multiple setbacks. Perhaps most important for investors is CEO Brian Chesky’s “pathological curiosity,” which led him to devour books and seek out role models like Warren Buffett (four-hour lunch in Omaha), Disney’s Bob Iger, and Tesla’s Elon Musk. The future remains bright for Airbnb given millennial values and attitudes towards experiences and accommodations.