In autumn 2007, Brian and his buddy Joe were unemployed in San Francisco and trying to figure out how to pay the rent. All the hotel rooms in the city were booked up for a conference, so they decided to use their three unused air mattresses and breakfast cooking skills to create a low-end bed and breakfast. They marketed it as “Airbed and Breakfast.” It helped them pay the rent and launched the idea for Airbnb: a marketplace to connect underused lodging space with people struggling to find affordable accommodations.
