Module code: GBEN 3003

Module title: Introduction to Business and Entrepreneurship

Module leader: Guillermo Palacios

Student Name:

Student ID:
Contents
Section 1: Business Report..............................................................................................1

Title: Airbnb Redefining Global Travel through Innovation and Community..................1

Introduction...................................................................................................................1

Company Profile: Airbnb...............................................................................................2

Company Organizational Aims: Core Values, Mission, Vision......................................3

Founders of the Company............................................................................................3

Company Organizational Culture..................................................................................4

Innovator vs. Innovation............................................................................................... 5

Entrepreneurial Skills....................................................................................................5

Additional Information...................................................................................................6

Conclusion....................................................................................................................7

Section 2: Infographic...................................................................................................... 8

Title: Airbnb Redefining Global Travel through Innovation and Community..................8

Company Overview...................................................................................................... 8

Core Values, Mission, and Vision.................................................................................8

Organisational Culture..................................................................................................8

Global Markets............................................................................................................. 9

Founders of Airbnb....................................................................................................... 9

Entrepreneurial Skills....................................................................................................9

Entrepreneurs’ Impact on Airbnb’s Development........................................................10

Reference................................................................................................................... 11

Appendix.....................................................................................................................12

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Section 1: Business Report
Title: Airbnb Redefining Global Travel through Innovation and
Community

Introduction

Airbnb has changed the travel and lodging sector with its community-driven ethos.
It was founded in 2008 in a San Francisco flat by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and
Nathan Blecharczyk. Airbnb is examined from its beginnings to its goods, market
positioning, organisational aims, core values, and culture. From its startup roots to its
global market leadership, Airbnb's visionary founders and entrepreneurial drive are
responsible. The company has pioneered eco- and socially-conscious travel, boosted
local economies, and innovated the hotel business. For hosts and tourists, this has
expanded opportunities. Airbnb's beginnings, global impact, and tourist sector
transformation are the focus of this study.

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Company Profile: Airbnb

A Historical Summary

Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk founded Airbnb in San Francisco in
August 2008. Airbnb was founded because Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia rented air
mattresses in their apartment to design conference attendees since they couldn't pay
rent. The popularity of "Air Bed and Breakfast" and the notion of a platform to display
properties for rent to tourists inspired them (Airbnb, 2024). In 2008, the website's three
founders proposed affordable rooms for huge events. Airbnb expanded from air
mattresses to homes, rooms, and even treehouses and castles. Hoteliers were
surprised by the platform's sudden rise and millions of users.

Products and Services

Airbnb is known for its online marketplace, which matches hosts with guests. The site
offers micro-apartments, mini-flats, rooms, boats, and treehouses. By booking one of
Airbnb's many "Experiences," hosts provide cooking classes, sightseeing tours, and
workshops, and guests may experience local culture (Airbnb, 2023). The company now
welcome international guests to their online activities. Airbnb offers multi-day
"Adventures," led by local experts. Business users of Airbnb can use "Airbnb for Work,"
which organises work trips, team-building events, and properties.

Markets the Company Operates

Airbnb works well for business trips, family vacations, and unconventional holiday
destinations. Available in over 220 countries and regions. The portal covers big and
small cities. Airbnb serves Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Site visitors include
budget, premium, and distinctive holidaymakers. Airbnb joined the long-term rental
industry to meet the needs of digital nomads and mobile professionals who want flexible
accommodations.

Competitors

Airbnb faces threats from traditional hotel corporations and emerging internet markets.
IHG, Marriott, and Hilton are its main competitors. Like Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo

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(holiday Rentals by Owner) let clients book holiday rentals and other lodging. Vrbo,
owned by Expedia Group, dominates vacation rentals worldwide. In India, OYO Rooms
and Expedia's HomeAway compete in holiday rentals. Airbnb has maintained a
substantial market share despite fierce competition due to its unique services and focus
on non-traditional lodging (Sławomir Bukowski, Hyż and Marzanna Lament, 2021).
Airbnb has thrived in a shifting market because of its exceptional adaptability. Airbnb's
product variety and regional expansion have propelled it to the top of the global hotel
business.

Company Organizational Aims: Core Values, Mission, Vision

Airbnb makes all strategic and operational decisions based on its principles, mission,
and vision. Airbnb promotes diversity, inclusivity, and community. From hosts to visitors
worldwide, the organisation should promote trust, safety, and respect.

Airbnb's mission is "to help create a world where anyone can belong anywhere." The
organisation aims to bridge cultural and ethnic boundaries, as its mission states. Airbnb
aims to join people worldwide by sharing homes and experiences (Pereira, 2023).

Airbnb advertises "Belong Anywhere" as its vision. All people on Earth should feel more
at home. Airbnb innovates constantly to serve as many people as possible. Travellers
want meaningful interactions and experiences, not just to see the world.

Founders of the Company

Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk founded Airbnb in 2008. Executive
and strategy officer Brian Chesky runs Airbnb. Her design background affects Airbnb's
brand and user experience. Prioritising community and innovation, he led Airbnb's
global growth. Airbnb’s co-founder Joe Gebbia is the Chief Product Officer. Gebbia's
design expertise helped Airbnb's product development (Airbnb, 2024). He helped create
the platform's hospitality philosophy of personalised experiences. Its third co-founder
and chief strategy officer, Nathan Blecharczyk, developed its infrastructure. Airbnb's
scalable design, developed by computer scientist Blecharczyk, allowed it to manage
millions of listings and grow swiftly. His vision helped the organisation overcome market

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and regulatory challenges. Using design, technology, and commercial strategy, these
three pioneers transformed the hotel industry.

Company Organizational Culture

The contented Airbnb workplace contributes to its global success. Community,

innovation, and diversity define the company's culture. It exhibits a dynamic workplace
that fosters creativity, collaboration, and a strong Airbnb community.

Company Environment

Airbnb's dynamic, welcoming workplace reflects the global community. Airbnb

Environments in San Francisco highlights the company's diverse listings. An open floor
concept, coworking spaces, and flexible scheduling encourage creativity and
cooperation. Let employers do what they want to boost morale and productivity.

Airbnb values inclusivity and diversity. The company values diversity and makes
everyone feel respected. Airbnb needs an engaging setting to connect with international
guests and make them feel at home. Diverse perspectives and experiences in the hiring
process suggest a company embraces diversity (Burns, 2022). Airbnb values
transparency and openness. Town hall gatherings, leadership Q&As, and organisational
communication motivate employees to support the company's goals. Transparency
makes personnel more trustworthy, accountable, and owned.

Types of Cultures Inside the Organization

Innovation Culture: Airbnb mostly values creativity and Innovation. Staff are
encouraged to innovate to improve the platform or offer growth. Because members are
curious and open to new experiences, this innovation culture grows. Avoid fear and
succeed by learning from their mistakes. Due to Airbnb Plus and Airbnb Experiences,
Airbnb is more competitive.

Mission-Driven Culture: Airbnb’s mission is "to help create a world where anyone can
belong anywhere." Operations and culture are based on this goal. Together, employees
are more motivated to make a difference. The organization's sustainability, community,
and cultural exchange operations run on this mission.

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Collaborative Culture: Collaboration is one of the most valued cultures at Airbnb.
Collaboration generates better ideas; thus, the organisation encourages cross-
functional teamwork (Bresciani et al., 2021). Each firm employee brings their viewpoint
and experience to projects. By working together, they can solve problems and organise
better.

Customer-Centric Culture: Customers are the top priority of Airbnb. The company's
decisions and service designs are based on hosting and guest happiness. Airbnb uses
customer feedback to improve the site. Private services for hosts and visitors and user-
friendliness reflect this customer-centric approach.

Empowerment and Ownership Culture: Airbnb focuses on building Empowerment

and Ownership Culture. Employees are free to think and act. Flat organisations allow
employees to express themselves and take charge (Wallace, 2020). When they can
improve the company's performance, employees work harder.

Innovator vs. Innovation

Chesky, Gebbia, and Blecharczyk began Airbnb as innovators, not inventors. Unlike
inventors, innovators find new uses for existing ideas. Airbnb's global growth through
digital means gave short-term rentals a new twist. According to Schumpeter, new
resource combinations upset markets. Airbnb leveraged online payment methods and
digital marketplaces to establish a scalable, user-friendly platform that made home
access more accessible (Volgger et al., 2018). By building a community-driven hotel
alternative, they disrupted hospitality. Airbnb's review- and guarantee-based trust
mechanism has led the sharing economy from the start. Airbnb innovated rather than
invented to meet market expectations and change global travel.

Entrepreneurial Skills

The founders and early staff of Airbnb were driven by their can-do spirit and risk-taking.
Brian Chesky, an industrial designer, built a platform that prioritises form and utility for
users. He created a reliable Airbnb platform that was engaging for consumers and
investors using design thinking (David and Hamburg, 2017). Resolving early challenges

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like host-visitor confidence required Joe Gebbia's creativity and tenacity. He helped
Airbnb strengthen its brand and user experience with his collaboration and new ideas.
Nathan Blecharczyk needs the strategic and intellectual ability to design scalable
infrastructure for rapid global expansion at Airbnb. His legal and technology expertise
helped Airbnb grow from a startup to a global hospitality leader. Design, innovation, and
imagination helped Airbnb's founders revolutionise tourism.

Additional Information

150 million Airbnb users and 7 million listings in 220 countries and regions will exist by
2024. The network includes mansions, yurts, rural cottages, suburban apartments, and
more. It draws families, businesses, and people seeking meaningful vacations. Airbnb
has repercussions beyond transportation. Since homeowners may make money from
their homes, it has revolutionised local economies, especially in non-tourist areas. Local
businesses and ecotourism benefit from regional economies being more evenly
distributed (Haywood et al., 2017). Airbnb encourages people to see lesser-known
destinations and reduces demand for more popular ones.

Airbnb is unique in corporate citizenship. In the COVID-19 pandemic, Airbnb's Open

Homes program provides free or low-cost housing for refugees, disaster survivors, and
healthcare workers. Airbnb says this scheme will eliminate poverty worldwide. Airbnb
encourages eco-friendly travel by funding environmental programs and encouraging
hosts to go green. These events underline Airbnb's leadership in hospitality and beyond.

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Conclusion

Airbnb is an example of how innovation, entrepreneurship, and community-centric

concepts can make a company a global accommodation leader. Travel and housing
have been altered by the founders' vision for a trustworthy, easy-to-use platform and
their ability to see and exploit contemporary technologies. Airbnb supports local
economies, ecological travel, and social issues. The company's success shows our
inclusive, creative, and adaptable corporate model works. Airbnb's sharing economy
pioneering has connected people worldwide and provided unique vacation experiences.
Airbnb has changed worldwide travel via community, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Airbnb's commercial dominance and innovation in tourism witness to its influence.

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Section 2: Infographic
Title: Airbnb Redefining Global Travel through Innovation and
Community

Company Overview

Nathan Blecharczyk, Brian Chesky, and Joe Gebbia established Airbnb in 2008. It lets
hosts locate visitors and landlords list their extra rooms. People plan vacations and
book hotels in new ways because of this platform. Airbnb has expanded beyond linking
people renting extra rooms or whole houses to offer unique stays and experiences
worldwide (Airbnb, 2024). Guests can choose from castles, rural cottages, treehouses,
and urban flats among the seven million listings in 200 countries and regions.

Core Values, Mission, and Vision

Airbnb prioritises community, connection, and new viewpoints. According to its mission,
"To create a world where anyone can belong anywhere," it emphasises meaningful
relationships and purposeful travel (Pereira, 2023). This company allows guests
worldwide to experience local culture and feel at home. Airbnb fosters diversity and
inclusion by welcoming all. Airbnb also supports green hosts and causes. Since
technology advances, the platform is constantly improved to meet user needs. These
values underpin Airbnb's early and continued success.

Organisational Culture

Airbnb values community, creativity, and belonging. The organisation seeks workers
who value diversity, creativity, and teamwork. Due to its global community mission,
Airbnb encourages employees to be authentic at work. Also, the company values
community internally and externally. Through host and guest interactions, the firm builds
trust by letting users share stories. Airbnb's inventive culture stresses speed,
adaptability, and uniqueness (Wallace, 2020). Airbnb has developed and held its own in
a competitive sector by enabling its employees to manage their projects and think
outside the box.

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Global Markets

Airbnb serves 220 countries and territories from its hospitality and tourist business. The
platform's key markets are the US, EU, and Asia-Pacific, but Latin America and Africa
have developed in recent years. Along with short-term rentals, Airbnb offers
"Experiences," where tourists may book local tours, cooking classes, and other
culturally immersing activities (Mahmuda et al., 2021). In the short-term rental market,
Airbnb competes with hotel chains and OTAs. Due to its unique selling point (USP) —
personalized, regional experiences—it has found a global niche. Airbnb leads the hotel
sector with its creative and diverse business strategy, which has grown rapidly.

Founders of Airbnb

Airbnb was founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk.
The business succeeded because each entrepreneur contributed something unique.
Industrial designer Brian Chesky focused on form and function to create an entertaining,
practical, and easy-to-use platform. Airbnb overcame consumer trust and community-
building issues with designer Joe Gebbia. Computer scientist Nathan Blecharczyk built
the platform's technical foundation for fast scaling and stability. Airbnb founders are
innovators, not inventors (Airbnb, 2024). They developed a new company strategy after
accessing online payment systems and digital markets.

Entrepreneurial Skills

Airbnb became popular and user-friendly because of Brian Chesky's design ideas. He
combined design concepts and user needs to develop a beautiful and functional
interface. Joe Gebbia's creative problem-solving helped him overcome early operational
challenges like user trust and community building. Airbnb is built on community and user
interaction. Nathan Blecharczyk's technological skills were needed to create safe,
expandable systems (David and Hamburg, 2017). Due to his computer science
expertise, a robust foundation was established for millions of users and transactions.

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Entrepreneurs’ Impact on Airbnb’s Development

Together, Chesky, Gebbia, and Blecharczyk made Airbnb a global brand. Gebbia's
community commitment fostered trust and involvement, while Blecharczyk's technology
skills accelerated development and scalability. Chesky's design created an easy-to-use
experience (Volgger et al., 2018). Airbnb expanded and became the world's largest
lodging chain due to its inventive problem-solving. Airbnb grew and developed because
of its creativity and risk-taking.

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Reference

Airbnb (2023). What Is Airbnb and How Does It work? - Airbnb Help Center. Airbnb.

Airbnb (2024). About Us . Airbnb Newsroom.

Bresciani, S., Ferraris, A., Santoro, G., Premazzi, K. and Quaglia, R. (2021). The seven
lives of Airbnb. The role of accommodation types. Annals of Tourism Research,
88(1), p.103170.

Burns, P. (2022). Entrepreneurship and Small Business . USA: Red Glove Press.

David, A. and Hamburg, I. (2017). Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Skills in

Europe Examples to Improve Potential Entrepreneurial Spirit. Verlag Barbara
Budrich.

Haywood, J., Mayock, P., Kwabena, J., Owoo, A. and Fiorilla, B. (2017). Airbnb & Hotel
Performance. STR publication.

Mahmuda, S., Sigler, T., Corcoran, J. and Knight, E. (2021). Airbnb and micro‐
entrepreneurship in regional economies: Lessons from Australia. Geographical
Research.

Pereira, D. (2023). Airbnb Mission and Vision Statement. The Business Model Analyst.

Sławomir Bukowski, HyżA. and Marzanna Lament (2021). Competitiveness and

economic development in Europe prospects and challenges. London New York
Routledge.

Volgger, M., Pforr, C., Stawinoga, A.E., Taplin, R. and Matthews, S. (2018). Who adopts
the Airbnb innovation? An analysis of international visitors to Western Australia.
Tourism Recreation Research, 43(3), pp.305–320.

Wallace, L.K. (2020). The Cultural Influence on Sharing Economy Services: The Case
of Airbnb. The Aquila Digital Community.

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Appendix

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