Airbnb, Inc

The case is set in 2022, and the protagonist is Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, Inc. - an online rental platform. As the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in the U.S. in 2020, Airbnb faced an existential crisis. The travel company lost 80% of its bookings and 72% of its revenue in just eight weeks. Airbnb's market cap dropped to $57 billion, down 56% from its high of $130 billion just 18 months earlier. Before the pandemic, 80% of Airbnb's business was cross-border and short-term rentals. This case presents the strategic initiatives Airbnb implemented when executing an emergency pivot. It concludes with the challenges CEO Chesky faces post-pandemic, including a macro environment of high inflation and recession, lack of consistent profitability, and uncertainty as to whether pandemic travel trends and work arrangements are the new normal.