In 2008, Airbnb tried raising $150K at a $1.5M valuation. But a VC rejected them because “the market is too small”.
Today, Airbnb is worth $80 billion.
The greatest founders expand their market.
Anonymous 1
Hey I am on Medial • 1m
It forced them to build a scrappy, resilient business from the start. Those Obama O’s cereal boxes? Bootstrapped hustle. If they got funding early, maybe they’d have burned too fast and died before product-market fit.
Out-of-the-Box Hustle - Clever Tricks Startups Used to Beat the Odds and Make It Big
Airbnb
In 2008,during the financial crisis, Airbnb was struggling to raise funds. The founders got creative and started selling novelty cereal boxes called "Obama
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0 replies3 likes
Nawal
Entrepreneur | Build... • 1m
"When All You Have is $40 and a Dream: The Crazy Story That Saved Airbnb" 🔥
Imagine this:
Your startup is broke.
Investors laugh at your idea.
Your rent is overdue.
You’re eating instant noodles every night.
Welcome to Airbnb in 2008.
Brian Ch
In 2012, Airbnb was bleeding money.
Investors weren’t interested.
The media called it a “stupid idea.”
Who in their right mind would let strangers sleep in their home?
Founders were broke.
So broke they sold custom cereal boxes during the U.S. elect
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0 replies10 likes
Niket Raj Dwivedi
•
Medial • 1y
“Saturday Startup Nugget Story- 3”
AirBnB cash crunch and their innovative solution to make some quick cash.
Flashback to 2008, Airbnb was facing a money crunch. So, the smart founders had a wild idea – sell cereal! They created special boxes, "Ob
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5 replies22 likes
Anus Khalid
Hey I am on Medial • 4m
Story of Airbnb: From Air Mattresses to a Global Hospitality Empire
In 2007, roommates Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia couldn’t afford rent in San Francisco. With a design conference in town and hotels fully booked, they rented out air mattresses in the
How Scrappy Moves Create Startup Legends 🔥
(And why you're missing out if you’re playing too safe)
When we think about startups today, we imagine massive funding rounds, glossy ads, and global blitz campaigns.
But most iconic startups didn’t star
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1 replies20 likes
Mayank Kumar
Strategy & Product @... • 11m
Starting with the startup success stories
Day 1.
In 2008, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia couldn't afford rent, so they turned their living room into a bed and breakfast, offering air mattresses to guests.
This led to the creation of Airbnb, now a bil
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5 replies9 likes
Havish Gupta
Figuring Out • 1y
Top YC Companies (1/20)
Airbnb: It was started by Brian Chesky during the 2008 financial crisis with the idea to list extra space in our house for other people to stay in. Since after the financial crisis, when people had less to spend, this worked a
Why Taking Calculated Risks is Essential for Startup Success
Risk is the shadow every startup founder faces. It’s daunting, yet it fuels the thrill—and the potential rewards—of entrepreneurship. The trick isn’t avoiding risk; it’s mastering calculat
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0 replies14 likes
Sayan Ghosh
•
OG Capital • 2m
Co-Build a VC Fund in Public: Day 14 (the power of resilience)
Perseverance and resilience are key qualities in every founder.
Can you believe that in 2008, Airbnb was on the brink of shutting down?
They did everything they could, maxed out cred
