Air Mattresses to a Global Empire
Discover the remarkable journey of how Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, unable to afford their San Francisco rent, placed three air mattresses on their living room floor and accidentally launched a multi-billion dollar travel revolution.
The Idea is Born (2007): Two roommates, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, are struggling to pay rent in San Francisco. They notice a design conference is coming to town and hotels are fully booked. An idea sparks!
Airbed & Breakfast: They decide to rent out three air mattresses in their living room, complete with homemade breakfast. This is the very first "Airbed & Breakfast."
Co-founder #3 Joins (2008): Nathan Blecharczyk, a former roommate and technical architect, joins the team as the third co-founder. They officially launch airbedandbreakfast.com.
Cereal for Capital: Facing financial struggles, they create "Obama O's" and "Cap'n McCain's" breakfast cereals during the 2008 election, selling them to raise initial seed funding.
Y Combinator & Rebrand (2009): They're accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator startup accelerator. They shorten their name to "Airbnb" and focus on all types of spaces, not just airbeds.
Professional Photography Initiative: Early on, they realized poor photos were hurting listings. Chesky flew to NYC and personally took professional photos of host properties, dramatically increasing bookings.
Global Expansion: Airbnb quickly expands beyond the US, opening international offices and adapting to local cultures and regulations. The map fills up!
The Belo Logo (2014): They introduce the "Belo" logo, a symbol designed to represent belonging, love, and community. Starting from 3 air mattresses, they are now valued at $80 billion.