The pandemic hit just as we were launching our travel app, which was designed to allow users to easily discover and book hotels. Despite the shutdown of hotels worldwide, I focused on the future, believing that people would want to travel again.

During the pandemic, trends that previously fueled business growth suddenly reversed, leading to a dilemma about how to engage potential investors.

The rise of Airbnb coincided with the economic downturn, prompting many individuals to seek ways to monetize their properties for extra income.

The experience of managing a crisis like the Paris attacks reminded me of the early chaotic days of Airbnb, highlighting the constant challenges of running a startup.

In the early days of Airbnb, we struggled to achieve product-market fit and faced significant challenges in getting people to adopt our service.

I encouraged employees to embrace the challenge of the crisis as a chance to redefine their ownership and commitment to Airbnb's mission.

A pivotal moment for Airbnb was realizing that hosts didn't need to be present for guests to rent an entire apartment, which expanded our business model significantly.

In 2020, we were six months away from having to shutter our doors due to running out of money, which was a feeling of desperation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we cut our commissions in half and ran a national TV campaign to support the entire industry, emphasizing that kitchens were open even if dining rooms were closed.