Airbnb Is in Midlife Crisis Mode

Chesky explains that historically, group utilized Airbnb only erstwhile aliases doubly a year, truthful its creation had to beryllium exceptionally simple. Now nan institution is retooling for much predominant access. Open nan app, and you spot a trio of icons that enactment arsenic gateways to nan expanded functions. Within minutes Chesky and his lieutenants are applauding nan cheery, retro style of nan icons—a location for accepted rentals, a edifice doorbell for services, and a Jules Verne-ish hot-air balloon representing activities. “We really thought profoundly astir nan metaphor—what was nan correct ocular to definitive an experience?” says Connor. Once they decided connected nan balloon, they drilled into really overmuch occurrence should belch from nan basket. The icons were drawn by a erstwhile Apple designer whose sanction Chesky would not divulge. “He’s a spot of a concealed weapon,” he says.

A less-secret limb is Chesky’s collaboration pinch nan iconic, besides ex-Apple, business designer Jony Ive. Chesky’s northbound star, it should beryllium said, is Apple. “Steve Jobs, to me, is for illustration Michelangelo aliases da Vinci,” he says. Despite ne'er gathering Jobs, “I consciousness for illustration I cognize him deeply, professionally, successful a measurement that fewer group ever did, successful a measurement that you only perchance could by starting a tech institution arsenic a imaginative personification and going connected a rocket ship,” Chesky says. By hiring Ive’s LoveFrom institution and moving pinch Jobs’ cardinal collaborator, Chesky gets a sensation of nan celebrated Jobs/Ive dynamic. Ive himself doesn’t make that comparison, but he does praise Chesky’s creation chops. “There are definite tactical things wherever I dream that sometimes I'm of usage to Brian, conscionable arsenic as a chap designer,” Ive says. “But nan mostly of our activity has been astir ideas and nan measurement we framework problems and understand opportunities.”

Another cardinal portion of nan app is nan floor plan page. “You request trust,” Chesky says—meaning a verifiable identity. Airbnb has been vetting nan caller vendors, which it calls “service hosts.” For months, Chesky says, an service of inheritance researchers has been scrutinizing nan résumés, licenses, and recommendations of chefs, photographers, manicurists, masseuses, hairsbreadth stylists, constitution artists, individual trainers, and aestheticians who supply spa treatments specified arsenic facials and microdermabrasions. They’re each being professionally photographed.

For nan adjacent phase—turning Airbnb’s personification profiles into a superior net ID—Connor and her squad person engaged successful immoderate far-out experimentation. She rattles disconnected a database of technologies they’ve been exploring, including biometrics, holograms, and nan reactive inks utilized to deter counterfeiting connected charismatic ID cards. But it’s acold from easy to go a backstage personality inferior (hello, Facebook), and moreover Chesky notes that getting governments to judge an Airbnb credential to verify personality is “a agelong goal.”

Now that a full slew of group will person caller reasons to chat pinch each different and coordinate plans, Airbnb has besides enhanced its messaging functions. Fellow travelers who stock experiences tin shape communities, enactment successful touch, moreover stock videos and photos. “I don’t cognize if I want to telephone it a societal network, because of nan stigma associated pinch it,” says Ari Balogh, Airbnb’s CTO. So they employment a fuzzier term. “We deliberation of it arsenic a relationship platform,” he says. “You’re going to spot america build a batch much worldly connected apical of it, though we’re not an advertizing system, convey goodness.” (My ain study is that immoderate for-profit institution that tin big advertizing will, but whatever.)