Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky Unveils Ambitious Everything App Vision

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky recently unveiled a sweeping vision to transform Airbnb from a home rental platform into an "everything app" that integrates travel accommodations, curated experiences, and professional services. This ambitious redesign aims to meet travelers’ evolving needs by monetizing not just homes but people’s time and skills, creating a richer, more connected travel ecosystem.

The new Airbnb app features a vibrant, three-dimensional design language that departs from the flat design trend of the past decade. This fresh interface is not only visually engaging but built on a completely rebuilt technology stack that supports booking homes, services, and experiences seamlessly within a single platform. Chesky emphasizes that this redesign is the foundation for Airbnb’s next chapter, enabling extensibility to offer virtually anything travelers might need.

Airbnb Services now allow users to book professional offerings such as private chefs, masseuses, personal trainers, and photographers, vetted for quality and licensing. Meanwhile, Airbnb Experiences has been relaunched with a focus on unique, authentic activities led by celebrities, athletes, and skilled individuals, blending social connection with travel. Chesky envisions a future where Airbnb becomes a community platform that connects people through shared passions and real-world interactions.

This transformation required a fundamental rethink of Airbnb’s organizational structure and technology. Chesky eliminated divisional silos, unifying design, engineering, and product marketing under a single roadmap to foster collaboration and speed innovation. The company also shifted from traditional product managers to a model emphasizing design-led product marketing and robust program management to keep complex projects on track.

Chesky also addressed the challenge posed by emerging AI assistants that could disintermediate service providers by booking travel and services on users’ behalf. He believes the future will feature multiple specialized apps rather than a single dominant AI platform, and that companies like Airbnb must integrate AI to become concierge-like agents themselves. Maintaining direct customer relationships and trust will be critical as the platform evolves.

The new Airbnb app’s extensible architecture and vibrant design language, inspired in part by collaborations with renowned designer Jony Ive, position the company to offer a broad range of services beyond travel. Chesky envisions Airbnb becoming a platform for living anywhere, offering services locally and globally, and fostering authentic human connections in an increasingly digital world.

This strategic pivot reflects a broader industry trend where platforms must evolve from single-purpose apps to multifaceted ecosystems that blend technology, community, and AI. Chesky’s approach highlights the importance of integrated product design, organizational alignment, and embracing AI as an accelerator rather than a threat. Airbnb’s journey offers valuable lessons for companies aiming to innovate at scale while maintaining authentic human experiences.