The vacation rental industry is a $40 billion market, which we didn't fully understand until we received insights from investors who studied the market.

We faced challenges in raising funds, with many investors not responding or passing on Airbnb, claiming it didn't fit their investment thesis or that the travel market wasn't big enough, but we eventually secured a $1.5 million valuation for Airbnb.

It's often harder to raise a small amount of money than a larger round because of the expectations that come with higher valuations.

The future of investing is shifting towards publicly traded stocks and cryptocurrencies, as they offer more accessibility and lower fees compared to traditional real estate investments.

Investors often overlook the potential of existing large markets, thinking they are too crowded, but if you can create a significantly better product, there's room for many winners.

Raising from many investors can create momentum, but managing a large number of investors can be challenging, often referred to as a 'party round.'

Raising funds doesn't mean you can create less value; if you raise $5 million, you need to create $50 million worth of value to be successful.

The charter broker market is about $150 billion, and the shipping market is in the trillions, making it one of the largest drivers of worldwide GDP.

There are not many consumer companies that have reached a valuation between $5 billion and $25 billion, indicating a unique challenge in the market.