Joe Gebbia turned a crazy idea—inviting strangers into your home—into one of the world’s most innovative companies. Joe is the co-founder of Airbnb and chairman of Airbnb.org, his nonprofit brainchild that provides housing to people in crisis. He’s been named to Fortune’s “40 Under 40” and Fast Company’s “Most Creative People.” A lifelong basketball fan, Joe is also a member of the San Antonio Spurs investor group. On this episode, we talk about the incredible story behind Airbnb, turning setbacks into opportunities and doubling down on your dreams.
Follow Joe: Twitter | Instagram
Show Notes
- How Joe developed an entrepreneurial spirit at an early age (1:45)
- From Atlanta Hawks ball kid to San Antonio Spurs ownership (4:02)
- How an interaction with a stranger later inspired the idea for airbnb (7:43)
- The origin story of Airbnb (13:45)
- Doubling down on the idea for Airbnb (18:03)
- The failure that inspired Joe and his cofounders to reimagine Airbnb as a travel site (19:13)
- Why Airbnb hit a low point after a successful relaunch in 2008 (23:26)
- The power of creativity— and how limited-edition Obama O’s cereal boxes helped the company break through (26:21)
- Counterintuitive advice for entrepreneurs: Do the things that don’t scale. (31:43)
- How Joe used doubt as fuel to build the company of his dreams (33:37)
- The power of imagination (36:40)
- How his design background helped him succeed as an entrepreneur (39:48)
- Be the author of your company’s culture (41:07)
- Why discomfort is a sign of growth (43:12)
- What’s next for Joe after stepping away from the day-to-day of Airbnb (46:03)
- How a business can extend beyond its expertise to solve social problems (47:28)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Airbnb
- Airbnb.org (nonprofit)
- A letter from co-founder Joe Gebbia
- San Antonio Spurs Introduce Joe Gebbia a Newest Strategic Partner
- Rhode Island School of Design
- Brian Chesky
- Nate Blecharczyk
- Barack Obama
- Y Combinator
- Tony Hsieh, Zappos
- The Truth by Neil Strauss
- Charles and Ray Eames, designers
Recommended For You
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- Tim Brown on The Drive for Continuous Improvement
- Neil Blumenthal on How to Build Purpose-Driven Teams
- Payal Kadakia on How to Define Success on Your Own Terms
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