Airbnb Co-Founder Talks Design, Trust, and New Community Models
Photo Credit: Joe Gebbia, Airbnb's co-founder and chief product officer, recently launched a new Airbnb design studio called Samara. Airbnb
Skift Take
On several fronts, it's obvious that Airbnb is working hard to diversify and expand its products. And Samara, an Airbnb design studio, which is headed by co-founder and chief product officer Joe Gebbia, is the latest manifestation of that.
What does Airbnb have up its sleeve next?
In just eight years, the San Francisco-based startup, now valued at an estimated $30 billion, has become a truly global business that operates in more than 34,000 cities in 191 countries.
Airbnb's decisions on operations and new products can have a major impact on a global scale.
In Rio, for example, Airbnb is helping the hotel-strapped city accommodate more than 66,000 visitors attending the Olympic Games. And countless guests and hosts have spoken openly about the personal and economic opportunities that the home-sharing platform has enabled them to have.
But the company is also facing regulatory battles in a number of cities because of its impact on local housing markets and communities. And it's currently engaged in an effort to address discrimination taking place on its online platform. That's something Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky has called the company's biggest challenge yet.
Figuring out what's next for Airbnb,
