Designer

The question that I can't shake - it's this question that keeps coming up for me - is What does the shared home of the future look like? People are sharing homes at a rate that no one ever predicted, but residences and homes weren't designed for it. They were designed around ideas of privacy and separation.

To me, 'design thinking' is another way of saying empathize with the customer. It's consideration for the person you're designing for.

We have seen things in the twentieth century like the ATM machine, the VCR, and even the car. The electric car was invented in 1920, and here we, 100 years later, it is only now becoming an actual thing. So it doesn't surprise me that new ideas are met with a lot of questions.

Design has always been a driving force in my life: it's the lens through which I experience the world.

Since the very beginning, we wanted to create an experience for our guests: more than just a place to sleep. We wanted to cook breakfast in the morning; we wanted to provide a subway map for our guests. Pick them up from the airport.

When it comes to technology and the home, I really don't want to see any of it.

At Airbnb, we're trying to build a culture that supports details, celebrates them, and gives our teams creative license to pursue them.

I think Pixar's done an amazing job integrating art and science. They really get this idea that art and engineering work side by side.

Airbnb has proven that hospitality, generosity, and the simple act of trust between strangers can go a long way.

As with any new and innovative industry, entrenched interests - particularly the hotel industry - have attempted to squash the home-sharing movement.

People assume that the smarter your home, the better your life, but in reality, technology so often gets in the way of leading a good life.

Cities are a melting pot for different ideas, and diversity brings a high-energy rhythm that I don't think we'd know was gone until it was too late.

Airbnb has grown thanks to our hosts creating memorable experiences and inspiring their guests to be hosts in their hometowns.

What if cities embraced a culture of sharing? I see a future of shared cities that bring us community and connection instead of isolation and separation.

What people demand is what the policies serve.

Staying at Airbnb listings gives me the opportunity to truly understand and experience the local culture of the countries I visit.

Creating the future means having a global vision and an extreme focus on the approachability of what we're creating.

When we go city by city, country by country, the majority of our hosts, our owners, are simply renting out their spare bedroom.

High reputation beats high similarity.

We hire people who are smarter than us.