While Chesky’s reaction when the 2010 bill first appeared was to just fight back — early on, top Silicon Valley minds had advised the company to lie low and stay off the radar or even to be antagonistic — Airbnb’s Belinda Johnson brought a decidedly more conciliatory approach when she started, in 2011. She encouraged Chesky to start meeting with his opponents instead. “Belinda taught me that no matter how much somebody hates you, it’s almost always better to meet them,” he says. He embarked on a “massive charm tour,” traveling to New York and meeting with stakeholders: regulators, hoteliers,
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