The story
Two roommates who couldn't cover rent put air mattresses on their floor during a design conference. Investors kept passing, so they funded themselves by selling election-themed cereal, which is what impressed Y Combinator.
No. 027 · 2008 · San Francisco
Airbnb
Rent was due. So they sold cereal.
Biggest hotel with no hotels
Make my startup a legend- 1 2007. Rent's due. Hotels are sold out.
- 2 They rent out three air mattresses.
- 3 Three guests, $80 each. A business, maybe?
- 4 Investors: no. No. No.
- 5 2008 election: they make novelty cereal boxes.
- 6 $40 a box. About $30K.
- 7 YC lets them in because of the cereal.
- 8 Now it's every hotel's problem.
- Founders
- Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk
- Founded
- 2008, San Francisco
- What they do
- Stays in other people's homes.