I am sure nowadays everyone either knows or has in some way heard the name Airbnb or personally used the app. This app has completely revolutionized to travel and hotel industry and was created by some of the youngest entrepreneurs. The co-founder of Airbnb is only 37 years old named Brian Chesky .When he first got started with his business he was only 27 years old. I found him and his business interesting because he completely innovated the hotel business with his business. Before his business if you wanted to stay somewhere you had basically three options. You would have to stay in a hotel, motel, or with a friend or family. If you didn’t have any friends or family in the area you were forced to settle with spending the money. Airbnb changed that.
So far, about 44.8 million adults are using Airbnb worldwide. In 2014 their website surpassed 800,000 listings. That means they have surpassed Hilton Worldwide, the InterContinental Hotels Group or any other hotel chain in the world in logging numbers. The business is only getting bigger and bigger each year as well.
When asked about what he credits his success to he said, “childlike curiosity and wonder…[is] probably the most important trait you can have, especially as an entrepreneur.” His promotion of the importance of a young perspective is inspiring because it gives me hope that I could possibly come up with a successful idea just like he did.
I am also inspired to look for the mashups. He saw people who needed places to stay who also didn’t want to pay a ton and placed them with people who were willing to rent out their own property. They found a way for people to make money using things they already own and to satisfy the need for travelers to have a cheaper more homelike stay.
People like Chesky are helping to inspire young thinkers everywhere to believe in their ideas and try to make a difference in the world every day.
It is unbelievable what people can achieve by simply pursuing what they are passionate about. Chesky found a problem and began to look for a solution. He embodies all the qualities that we discuss in class when it comes to being a successful entrepreneur. To be as young as he is, who knows where he will be with the company 10 years form now!
Innovations like these truly make the world smaller and more accessible. Now people who thought it would be impossible to take their dream trip to London, can now go because of this company. Accessibility and affordability are two things I think are emphasized here. It is a great connection tool for the growing industry of travel. It is an amazing web of travel opportunities created through this company.
Not only is this a great and useful app for anyone traveling to use, but I also heard the company itself is a great to work for. They care for their employees and want to make sure they are well taken cared for along with their guests.
“He found the mashups”.
Figuring out the gaps in the market, the things that people always complain about but no one has fixed, is an amazing way to think of an idea for a business. AirBNB is a great example of something people talked about all the time (not an app obviously but a way to know what was available) that people just didn’t have until it was marketed.