After FlightCar, I joined Airbnb as a product manager to learn how successful companies operate and to gain insights into building a great product.

I lived in Airbnb's for nearly a year out of necessity, which allowed me to deeply understand the product and its impact.

I ran Airbnb like a hardware startup, focusing on efficiency and discipline. This approach has proven beneficial for software development, as it encourages thoughtful decision-making and accountability.

The founders of successful companies like Airbnb and Stripe paid close attention to every detail of the user experience, which helped instill confidence in users.

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

Airbnb operates as a technology company, facing challenges like international regulations, safety, and trust, while also needing to provide a world-class user experience.

Airbnb's early communication focused on utility, but they learned that hosts must align with the company's values to create a strong culture.

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.

I decided to interview every single person in the early days, which helped shape the culture at Airbnb.