The Airbnb story began in Providence, Rhode Island in 2004. Brian Chesky had just graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and his friend Joe Gebbia was in the fourth year of a five-year dual degree in industrial and graphic design at the same school. They teamed up for a project competition, pitching a shirt made of soap among other ideas, which didn't impress the judges but sparked their collaborative spirit. Chesky moved to Los Angeles and Gebbia to San Francisco, but they kept in touch. In 2007, Chesky moved to San Francisco to join Gebbia, and facing the need to cover rent, they came up with the idea of renting out air mattresses in their apartment. This idea evolved into AirBed & Breakfast, launching a website to advertise their concept. Their initial success at a design conference led them to pursue the idea further, eventually attracting significant investment and growing into the global platform Airbnb is today.
The story of Airbnb began in Providence, Rhode Island, during the summer of 2004. Brian Chesky had just completed his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, and his friend Joe Gebbia was pursuing a dual degree in industrial and graphic design at the same institution. They collaborated on a project competition for Conair Corporation, proposing innovative ideas like a soap-made shirt, which, despite not impressing Conair executives, solidified their partnership. After graduation, Chesky moved to Los Angeles, while Gebbia settled in San Francisco. In 2007, Chesky joined Gebbia in San Francisco, where they faced the challenge of covering Gebbia's rent. This predicament led to the creation of their bed-and-breakfast concept for a designers' congress in San Francisco, utilizing air mattresses and offering breakfast, which they advertised on design blogs. Their initial success, hosting three guests and earning about $1,000, encouraged them to further pursue the idea. They were later joined by Nathan Blecharczyk, a Harvard computer science graduate, to refine their concept, aiming to provide accommodation solutions for sold-out conferences. Despite a lukewarm reception at South by Southwest, the experience highlighted the need for a sophisticated payment system and opened up the service to non-conference travelers. They also connected with Michael Siebel, who offered guidance and introduced them to the concept of angel investors, setting the stage for Airbnb's future growth.
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