Y Combinator gives founders the chance to move to the Bay Area for $150,000 in seed funding and three months of mentorship from some of tech's most recognizable entrepreneurs and investors.
Still, Blecharczyk's recollection of the experience makes a compelling pitch for founders on the verge of walking away.Airbnb's headquarters in San Francisco."There was really only one time where we almost gave up," Blecharczyk said, "and that was at the end of the first year, where we had been unsuccessful in raising the capital. The recession had just began, this was the end of 2008.
"And we thought, OK, if we can get into this program, then we can admit to each other that we'll give it 13 more weeks. And we'll be super serious and regimented. But at the end of the 13 weeks, if we're not in a materially better place we all agree that it will be time to quit, and it won't be an awkward conversation."
The startup was on a mission to get hosts to love the service. The cofounders met all of their hosts in New York on stays at their homes. They wrote reviews and hired professional photographers for the properties to bolster their listings.
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