Airbnb Case Study: How Two Broke Roommates Built a $75B Empire

How desperate roommates transformed air mattresses into hospitality industry disruption

By Chris Kernaghan 5 min read
Airbnb Case Study: How Two Broke Roommates Built a $75B Empire

From air mattresses on a San Francisco apartment floor to disrupting the entire hospitality industry, Airbnb's journey is one of the most remarkable startup success stories ever told.

This comprehensive case study analyzes their business model, growth strategies, challenges, and the key lessons every entrepreneur can learn from their billion-dollar transformation.

  1. The Origin Story: From Air Mattresses to Global Empire
  2. The Problem They Accidentally Solved
  3. The Rocky Road to Success
  4. The Business Model That Prints Money
  5. Growth Numbers and Key Metrics
  6. Why Airbnb Succeeded When Others Failed
  7. Major Challenges and How They Overcame Them
  8. Innovation That Keeps Them Ahead
  9. Business Lessons for Entrepreneurs
  10. The Future of Airbnb
  11. Key Takeaways
HospitalityCase Study

Chris Kernaghan

Chris is a UX Designer with over 10 years of exp. He's worked with businesses small, large, and everything in between. He's passionate about putting people first through user-centered design.