I got to know my customers very well, which helped me understand that photography was key for unlocking the marketplace.

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.

Investing in batches allowed us to create a supportive community for founders, making the startup journey less lonely and more efficient for us as investors.

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 exemplified the principle of doing things that don't scale by personally taking high-quality photos of listings to attract users and get their business off the ground.

We now have tens of thousands of photographers worldwide who provide a free service for hosts to get professional photos of their listings within two days.

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.

Making good content allows you to shape your startup's story and share it with a larger audience through press outreach, which can be a powerful combination for growth.

We initially tried offering photography services for customers, but nobody wanted to pay for it, which was a failure for us.