The bad situation was getting worse. And despite having access to the best advisers, Chesky was still getting a lot of conflicting advice. Almost everyone was focused on the impact on the company, and afraid of doing or saying anything that would exacerbate the situation. Advisers were telling Chesky not to bother EJ, that she said she wanted to be left alone. Lawyers urged him to be very careful about what he said. But being cautious and quiet was exactly what was making things worse. At one point, Chesky finally realized he needed to stop listening to these advisers. “I had this really dark
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