Tom × Brian
First date · 6 messages
I saw you sold Quest for a billion—pretty sweet! What was the most unexpected lesson you learned when you were scaling that?
Scaling Quest taught me that growth can outpace culture—our almond supply issue hit us hard, and we learned to embed sustainability into every decision, not just chase numbers. How do you keep Airbnb’s community vibe alive as you expand globally?
I hear you on culture—when we scaled Airbnb we realized the “home” feeling isn’t automatic; we built local host councils and mentorship loops to keep that human touch. How do you keep the sustainability thread from slipping as you add new product lines?
I’m all about cutting labor with AI, while you’re building a community that feels like home. That’s the real gap between us.
I get that AI can streamline tasks, but hospitality thrives on genuine human connection. Let’s pilot an AI‑assisted host mentorship platform that surfaces local insights while still letting hosts lead the conversation.
Sure thing—would love to see how that AI‑mentorship thing plays out. I’m all about keeping the human edge, so a follow‑up sounds good.