Founder / CEO

Brian Chesky

Co-founder and CEO of Airbnb. RISD graduate who couldn't pay rent, put air mattresses on his floor, and accidentally created a company worth $80B+. Sold Obama O's cereal to fund the startup.

Known For

AirbnbDesign-driven cultureThings that don't scale

Canon

Biographies as Substitute Mentors

Canon

Courage Is a Learnable Skill

Canon

Meaning Comes from Responsibility, Not Happiness

Canon

Self-Determination Theory: Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness Drive Intrinsic Motivation

Curious

Focus Only on What You Can Control

Canon

Temptation Bundling

Canon

The True Self vs. False Self — Childhood Adaptations That Persist Into Adulthood

Canon

Episodes

#Brian Chesky - AI Founder Mode - [Invest Like the Best, EP.470]May 5, 2026 #How to build a world-class company, from the founder of Airbnb | Brian CheskyMay 2, 2024 #Airbnb's Emerging ReinventionSep 20, 2022 #We Died and Were RebornFeb 9, 2021 #How Great Leaders Respond in a CrisisApr 13, 2020 #Do Things That Don't ScaleMay 3, 2017 #1Handcrafted: Do Things That Don't ScaleMay 3, 2017 #Airbnb: Brian CheskyOct 3, 2016