Brian Chesky and his buddy Joe Gebbia were the creative founders of Airbnb who started their idea small, but it slowly began to grow exponentially over time. The whole idea of Airbnb all started when Chesky and Gebbia realized how limited they were financially. Living in San Francisco, they wondered how they could create some kind of business to help formulate a better income. They started contemplating and constructing ideas but came to the conclusion of starting a business where they would rent out air mattresses to the people in the apartment complex, or just simply to the people in the surrounding areas of San Francisco. They found this business idea beneficial because the hotels in the surrounding areas were often completely booked. Competitively, Gebbia and Chesky truly began their journey. They called their air mattress rental business “Air Bed and Breakfast.” As this small idea began to grow, “Air Bed and Breakfast” was later condensed to what we now know as “Airbnb.” As the air mattress idea began to grow, the development of Airbnb expanded to a greater idea of renting out houses, cabins and many other traveling rentals. As Airbnb began to rise in our society, it became some of hotel’s biggest competitors. In fact, Airbnb seemed to disrupt the hotel market. This seemed to be the case for the uniqueness which provided privacy, better experiences, and neater views. Today, Airbnb has a worth of $31 billion more than Hilton and Wyndham hotels together. Additionally, Airbnb is slowly disrupting the Marriott. What seemed to be a small business of air mattress rentals, became a shockingly popular trend of destination rentals that have changed society. It all started with two broke men who thought of a simple need for the community around them and ended in a multibillion-dollar business. This could be your story too. 

Sources: The Inside Story Behind the Unlikely Rise of Airbnb – Knowledge at Wharton (upenn.edu)