The Luckiest Thing
Chesky: I don't think of my luck as that we came up with this idea at this time. I think of the luck I have as having met my co-founders Joe and Nate. That's what makes me so lucky.
When you pick partners, they should be people you could be friends with. People you can imagine spending more time with than your spouse — because you're probably going to. And they're people that are so good they almost intimidate you. They challenge you. But they're also complementary.
The Perfect Triangle
Chesky: About a decade ago, we each did some kind of personality test. There's a wheel, and they plotted our three personalities. It turned out we formed a perfect equilateral triangle.
It made so much sense. It's about this sense of mutual respect. People that are so good they almost intimidate you but are so complementary.
The Rule
Chesky: We had a rule. Winning an argument was never more important than preserving the relationship.
That's important because if you start a company, you're going to debate at least 10,000 things. You're probably debating three things a day. A thousand things a year. Over 10 years, that's 10,000 things. No one argument can be the thing. There has to be this larger sense that we're a band.
Winning an argument was never more important than preserving the relationship.
Every Single Week
Chesky: You've got to work really hard at the relationship, almost like exercising. If you don't keep exercising, you get out of shape.
In 2009 we said every single Sunday we're going to meet, no matter how busy we get. Sometimes Sunday becomes Thursday, but we basically meet every single week. To this day we still do those calls.
A lot of human connection requires constant contact, constant connection. A deep sense of respect. A sense that I'm only here because of them. A sense of humility and gratitude. And a sense that I'm never going to try to win — because if I win alone, I'm not going very far.
I'm never going to try to win. Because if I win alone, I'm not going very far.