This module explores how Airbnb, a global hospitality giant, emerged by identifying and solving critical problems for both travelers seeking unique accommodations and individuals looking to monetize their spare spaces.

Before Airbnb, travelers often faced limited options: expensive hotels or impersonal hostels. Simultaneously, many homeowners had underutilized rooms or entire homes that could generate income, but lacked a convenient and trustworthy platform to connect with potential guests.

Airbnb offered travelers a chance to stay in local neighborhoods, experience different cultures firsthand, and often at a lower price point than hotels. This provided a more authentic and immersive travel experience.

For property owners, Airbnb provided a user-friendly platform to list their spaces, manage bookings, and receive payments. Crucially, it also built a system of trust through reviews and profiles, mitigating the inherent risks of inviting strangers into one's home.

Airbnb's early Minimum Viable Product (MVP) was simple: a website where people could list their homes and travelers could book them. The founders actively engaged with their early users, gathering feedback to improve the platform. This iterative approach was key to understanding user needs and building a robust service.

Airbnb's journey highlights the importance of identifying a genuine pain point, building a simple solution (MVP), and continuously iterating based on user feedback. The focus on building trust within the community was also a critical factor in scaling the business.