Startup Lessons | How Airbnb Started and the Art of Resilience 🎧

Podcast 🎧
Airbnb Story and the Art of Resilience
with Joe Gebbia and Tony Robbins
September 2019


Summary:

Airbnb started as a simple solution to a pressing problem; co-founders Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky couldn’t afford rent, so they opened up their San Francisco apartment for guests to stay in. They soon realized they may be onto something bigger than just a way to avoid being evicted. So, along with their old roommate, Nathan Blecharczyk, they started to build it into a business. But that was nearly 10 years ago. Airbnb has evolved substantially since then, though it was by no means a straight path to success. In fact, they launched and relaunched a number of times. They found themselves up to their ears in debt, rejected by investors over and over and were very close to flatlining on more than one occasion. You will hear their story of perseverance, and how they were able to find opportunities for massive growth where there were seemingly none. You will also hear about the importance their design background played in creating trust amidst strangers and giving customers the experience they wanted. And you will hear how they transcended cultural boundaries and were ultimately able to turn a floundering idea into a global business that operates in more than 34,000 cities in 91 countries, and is now estimated to be worth $30 billion.

Melanie Whelan and the SoulCycle Story 🎧

Podcast 🎧
with Melanie Whelan, SoulCycle
and Tony Robbins
September 2019


Excerpt:

Chances are, you’ve either been to SoulCycle or have at least heard someone raving about their experience. Because it has taken the fitness world by storm. And one of the key players behind this new fitness phenomenon is CEO Melanie Whelan. Melanie has served as SoulCycle’s CEO since June of 2015. And in just this short time, she has helped take the company from 7 operating locations to 70 jam-packed studios across the nation serving over 4 million people a year. And they are still growing at an exponential rate. So what makes SoulCycle such a powerhouse? How did they create so many raving fans? And how have they managed to consistently maintain their revolutionary customer experience while scaling at such a massive rate? These are just some of the questions that are answered in this episode, as Tony and Melanie delve into SoulCycle’s innovative workout culture, their unique hiring process, and the customer experience that they’ve built so consciously that it has created raving fans in every location.