In 2007, two designers struggling to pay bills had an idea to rent out three air mattresses on their living-room floor and cook breakfast for their guests. The idea struck during a design conference in San Francisco when the city’s hotels were fully booked. The two men created a website, Airbedandbreakfast.com, and charged $80 per night.
The designers, Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky, decided to target conferences, aiming to have locals list their rooms for conference attendees to book. Next, they attempted to take the idea to the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, but the idea flopped.
