Airbnb's photography service started from a personal experience where they realized better photos could enhance listings, leading to a successful on-demand photography network.

YC encourages doing things that don't scale, like Airbnb did by taking high-quality photos of homes to increase bookings. Don't wait for processes to be perfect before scaling; just get started in an unscalable way to unlock potential.

Airbnb helped their hosts improve their property photos, even at a loss, because they empathized with their users' needs and built trust through genuine care.

We built a network of photographers to improve the quality of listings, recognizing that high-quality photos could significantly enhance the attractiveness of properties on Airbnb.

Airbnb's founders initially launched the service to solve their own financial problem of making rent during a major conference in San Francisco.

Airbnb's growth was significantly driven by founders engaging in customer support, which helped them understand user needs and improve their service.

The idea for Airbnb originated when my co-founders, Joe and Brian, decided to rent out their apartment to designers attending a conference, leading to the realization of a larger opportunity.

The initial idea for Airbnb was to enhance the entire travel experience, not just provide a place to stay, by considering services like airport pickups and breakfast. We always intended to understand the operation of Airbnb from the inside out, including the timing and logistics of photographing apartments.

Witnessing the growth of Airbnb from a small team to a large organization illustrates the potential for startups to scale significantly over time.