Airbnb’s Brian Chesky Is Done With Back to Basics
Photo Credit: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky at Skift Global Forum in September 2022. Skift
Skift Take
Airbnb could be seen as a victim of its own success – with guests, hosts and cities all taking aim. But it’s done rebuilding, and focusing on moving forward.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says 2023 marks the end of the company's focus on perfecting its core business. He’s spent the past two years gathering feedback from hosts and guests to get the basic product right. Now, he says he’s ready to move forward and launch new things.
The company, founded on the idea that homeowners could make extra cash by renting out a spare room, surged in popularity during the pandemic.
The aftermath, however, seemingly left everyone complaining. For guests it was the cleaning fees. For hosts, a blow to their profit margins as the world returned to the office. And municipalities – most notably travel and tourism behemoth New York City – started enforcing regulations.
Skift spoke with Chesky as Airbnb was releasing a new round of product features. In our interview, Chesky addressed the biggest challenges Airbnb faces and what comes next.
The top takeaways are below, edited for clarity:
