When we started adding travel experiences to the app, engagement increased by 70%, indicating that people were eager to learn about and book experiences, even though it was challenging to do so on the app due to a lack of proper booking infrastructure.

I have a stubborn persona and a relentless drive to create a seamless experience, which led us to pivot our strategy during the pandemic. We realized that no hotel could accept Apple Pay at that time, and launching a consumer app was extremely challenging.

My first startup aimed to solve the problem I faced as a backpacker by creating a mobile app to book hostels and bed-and-breakfasts.

During the pandemic, we lost 80% of our business in just eight weeks, which was a shocking and challenging experience for Airbnb.

We were the first site to allow users to book accommodations and pay online through the app, which was a significant innovation at the time.

We aimed to launch our improved service in three months, incorporating payments and reviews to enhance user experience, and we launched our service just weeks before a major event, listing 800 properties to help locals make extra money during the influx of visitors.

In 2024, we tripled our revenue, helped hotels increase website conversion rates by 40%, and reduced cancellations by 44%.

I pitched the idea of Expedia as a consumer-focused travel software company, emphasizing that it should prioritize travel over software.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we had to pivot quickly. Instead of laying off our team as advised, we chose to be transparent and asked everyone to take pay cuts to weather the storm together, which ultimately helped us find our product-market fit.