Decoding Airbnb’s design-led success: The Brian Chesky journey - Config 2023 Part one

Figma's Config 2023, was the must-attend design conference of the year, was hosted at Moscone Center South, San Francisco, and broadcast virtually on YouTube. During the two-day event, luminaries from the design world shared their insights and learnings, igniting engaging conversations and fuelling the growth of the design community.

Among the event's speakers was the compelling Brian Chesky, Co-founder & CEO of Airbnb, who took the stage on day one.

In his conversation with Dylan Field, CEO of Figma, he provided an in-depth look at how design has played a critical role in shaping Airbnb's journey through his keynote address, "Leading through Uncertainty: A Design-Led Company."

With his unconventional approach and audacity to challenge the status quo, Chesky has pioneered the integration of design principles into Airbnb's core business strategy. From early challenges and breakthroughs to navigating through the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic, his journey is a testament to the power of design-led decision-making.

In this two part blog, we will deep dive into the fundamental insights Chesky shared during his talk - from the initial struggles of Airbnb's founding team to the company's transformation during the pandemic and how they found clarity in adversity. We'll explore Chesky's perspective on the role of design in the boardroom, his thoughts on rebuilding a company, and why he believes designers can offer so much more than just "moving pixels."

This blog covers the following aspect of Chesky's talk:

• The Foundational Years (2009 - 2019)
• The Role of Design in the Boardroom
• A Design-Driven Strategy
• Revolutionising User Experience: Airbnb's Storyboarding and Integrated Teams Strategy
• The Role of Storyboarding and Integrated Teams in Airbnb's Record Cash Flows

Each section contains critical takeaways, notable quotes from Chesky, and a deep-dive analysis of Chesky's perspectives. Packed with key quotes, focusing on themes such as design, business strategy, and integration with other company functions. This blog  offers a detailed breakdown of his insights during this keynote talk at Config 2023.

Stay tuned for a thorough exploration of Brian Chesky's insights into leading a company through uncertainty, with design at the helm, and how his perspective can illuminate our path forward in the complex design landscape of today.

The Foundational Years (2009 - 2019)

In the early days of Airbnb, the concept of a design-led company was yet to take root. It was a time of realisation, experimentation, and, inevitably, a fair share of setbacks. In his conversation with Dylan Field, Chesky spoke about the unique makeup of Airbnb's founding team, which featured an unconventional blend of design-centric thinkers.

Their resolve to break from established norms marked the team's initial years. Going against the grain, they embraced the transformative potential of design, viewing it not merely as an aesthetic tool but as a strategy for problem-solving and decision-making.

Chesky shared some hard-earned wisdom about early challenges, explaining how Airbnb struggled to gain acceptance and credibility in its infancy. "Getting design in the boardroom wasn't easy," he admitted, emphasising the difficulty of advocating for design's strategic role in a world that often misunderstood its potential.

However, Airbnb persisted, proving that design-driven decisions could produce remarkable results. They demonstrated that a design-led approach was not just about creating attractive products but defining an entire user experience, resulting in an enhanced understanding of customer needs and, ultimately, a more robust and effective business model.

In the next section, we will explore Brian Chesky's views on integrating design in the boardroom and how it can influence a company's strategy.

The Role of Design in the Boardroom

In the post-2019 era, Airbnb underwent some significant changes. The company grappled with an unexpected global challenge - the COVID-19 pandemic, which fundamentally altered how people travelled and interacted.

Confronting the harsh reality of a plummeting business, Brian Chesky recalled feeling like he was losing his dream. But during this challenging period, he realised the true power of design thinking. The crisis offered clarity in adversity and helped him identify the two types of people who rarely run companies, designers and heads of HR.

Chesky challenged this norm by placing design and customer perspective at the centre of Airbnb's strategy. He initiated a creative process of rebuilding the company from the ground up. A significant part of this process was looking at their roadmap and making critical decisions. From scrapping A/B testing to continually optimising and reviewing everything, they embraced a fresh approach.

Chesky advocated for creating products that resonated with their team's passion. "You can't develop products if you can't talk about the products," he said, underlining the importance of genuine enthusiasm in fostering innovation. This approach led to significant shifts in Airbnb's operational philosophy, resulting in record cash flow despite the challenging circumstances.

In the following section, we will look deeper into Brian Chesky's insights on the potential of a design-driven strategy in transforming companies.

A Design-Driven Strategy‍

Brian Chesky firmly believes in the potential of a design-led approach to transform a company. During the keynote, he posited that design is about creating aesthetically pleasing products and using creative and strategic thinking to solve complex problems. For Chesky, a designer's work extends beyond moving pixels; they are responsible for designing the company from within.

In the face of adversity, Airbnb took an integrated approach to reshape its business strategy. With design at the centre of decision-making, the company could rebuild itself from the ground up, carving out a path towards success even during a global crisis.

Chesky highlighted the need to "get design in the boardroom", underlining its crucial role in shaping company strategies. Designers bring a unique perspective, viewing problems and solutions through a user-focused lens. 

This makes them invaluable in product development, customer experience, and shaping the overall direction of a company.

Airbnb's unique integrated approach – where design, marketing, product, and engineering all worked harmoniously – set the stage for an operational shift that ultimately led to a record cash flow. The case of Airbnb demonstrates how a design-driven strategy can significantly impact the company's trajectory.

The following section delves into Chesky's take on "The Power of Storyboarding and Integrated Teams".

‍‍Revolutionising User Experience: Airbnb's Storyboarding and Integrated Teams Strategy

Airbnb, a market leader in the hospitality sector, transformed its user-centric approach with a unique method borrowed from film production - storyboarding. This technique played an instrumental role in enhancing Airbnb's design and user experience, as explained by Brian Chesky, Co-founder & CEO of Airbnb, in his keynote at Config 2023.

Chesky described how Airbnb utilised storyboarding to map out the guest experience meticulously. This involved identifying potential touchpoints, anticipating issues, and ensuring a smooth and intuitive journey for users. The result was a team that could empathise deeply with users and design experiences that met and often surpassed expectations.

Their embracing storyboarding further reinforced Airbnb's integrated team approach. By incorporating perspectives from design, engineering, product, and marketing teams in the storyboarding process, Airbnb established a holistic, well-rounded user experience.

This innovative approach led to an extraordinary outcome - record-breaking cash flows exceeding $3.4 billion, representing a turning point in the company's growth trajectory.

The Role of Storyboarding and Integrated Teams in Airbnb's Record Cash Flows

The story of Airbnb's recovery and surge in cash flow is closely tied to the power of storyboarding and integrated teams. Echoing their early design school project days, Airbnb revisited the storyboarding method to enhance the customer experience.

By visually outlining the customer journey, Airbnb could pinpoint service gaps and effectively tailor solutions to meet user needs. Chesky emphasised the importance of a systematic approach to understanding customers - from talking to customers and understanding data to using the product firsthand. This integrated methodology promoted deep empathy with users and empowered the company to make informed and impactful design decisions.

Airbnb's integrated teams were a cornerstone of the company's successful turnaround. Their coordinated strategies and shared objectives enabled an environment where innovation thrived, ultimately leading to record cash flows.

A Gateway to the Mind of a Design-Led Leader

As we wrap up this first part of our journey through Brian Chesky's transformative keynote, we are just beginning to uncover the depth of his insights.

In our next blog, we will delve deeper into Chesky's 'why's and 'I think's, providing a unique glimpse into this design-led industry leader's thought process and vision. Follow us on this continuing exploration and join us here in the second part of our deep dive into Brian Chesky's keynote at Config 2023.