Our first employee recognized that we persevered through tough times because we were passionate about our mission, which is essential for success.

To gain the trust of early customers, we initially targeted fellow companies in Y Combinator who were also new and had never paid themselves, which was a strategic move to build our initial customer base.

After realizing that property management companies were not aligned with our values, we refocused on offering primary home experiences, which enhance the guest's stay.

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.

Many founders find their first customers within their network, and I was fortunate to work with amazing people across various industries who supported our venture.

My first company was called Accolade, which focused on online SAT prep, but we were rejected by Y Combinator because my co-founder and I were part-time and had other commitments.

Our first customer was a VC who ended up investing in us, and being part of Y Combinator helped us get meetings with many interested VCs.

We had our first paying customer for Optimizely before writing any code, demonstrating the demand for our product.

Our early pitch for Figma was unfocused, but we were fortunate to have investors who believed in our potential to figure things out as we progressed.