They said it couldn't be done
Airbnb
What they said
“You guys are crazy. There's going to be a murder in one of these houses. There's going to be blood on your hands. I am not touching this with a 10-foot pole.”
What actually happened
Revenue
$9.9B revenue, 450M+ guest arrivals
by December 2023
The Founder
The Numbers
Jan 2009
Jul 2011
Dec 2020
Dec 2022
Dec 2023
The Journey
August 2008
LaunchAirBed & Breakfast officially launches; rejected by 7 investors in one day.
November 2008
MilestoneFounders sell novelty cereals (Obama O's and Cap'n McCains) to raise $30K and keep the startup alive.
June 2009
MilestoneRebrand to Airbnb.com; 10,000 listings milestone.
November 2010
Milestone1,000,000 nights booked total milestone.
December 2023
Milestone$9.9B revenue, 450M+ guest arrivals, 7M+ listings globally.
The Pattern
“The loudest voices said stop. They shipped anyway.”
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