Brian Chesky explains how Airbnb solved the chicken-and-egg problem Marketplaces are tough to build. No buyers, no sellers. No sellers, no buyers. This problem almost killed Airbnb. Homeowners wouldnโt list their homes because no one was booking. Travelers couldnโt book because there were no homes. So, how did Airbnb fix this? They started small, went deep, and found the right moment. The Breakthrough In 2008, Barack Obamaโs DNC speech moved to a bigger stadium. Suddenly, 60,000 people needed a place to stay. Airbnb jumped in: Started local โ Got Denver residents to list their homes. Used the media โ Bloggers wrote about it. Then local news. Then CNN & The New York Times. Built momentum โ Repeated this for Obamaโs inauguration. The Secret to Growth Paul Graham, their first investor, told them: "Itโs better to have 100 people love you than a million who kind of like you." So Airbnb focused on their first 100 usersโmeeting them, fixing their problems, making them love the product. These users told their friends. Word spread. Growth exploded. What You Can Learn Start small. Make your first 100 users love you. Let them spread the word. Thatโs how you build a startup that lasts. Follow Vishu Bheda for more valuable startup insights from the world's best founders!
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