Apple Employees Thrive at Airbnb While Amazon Hires Struggle

Situation

In the early 2010s, Airbnb was experiencing rapid growth and actively recruiting talent from various tech companies to build its team. As a hospitality-focused tech platform disrupting the traditional hotel industry, Airbnb had developed its own unique culture under the leadership of Brian Chesky and the founding team. The company was bringing in experienced professionals from established tech companies, including Apple and Amazon, two industry giants with distinctly different corporate cultures.

Actions

• Diverse hiring approach: Airbnb recruited talent from various tech companies, including Apple and Amazon, to build its team
• Cultural integration: The company attempted to integrate these new hires into Airbnb's existing culture
• Observation of patterns: Chip Conley, who joined Airbnb at 52 as Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, observed how employees from different company backgrounds adapted to Airbnb's environment
• Cultural assessment: The company began recognizing patterns in which previous employers' alumni tended to succeed or struggle at Airbnb

Results

• Differential adaptation: Apple alumni generally "resonated pretty well" within Airbnb's culture
• Cultural friction: Amazon employees "less so" - they experienced more difficulty adapting to Airbnb's environment
• Pattern recognition: The company identified that previous company culture was a meaningful predictor of success at Airbnb
• Cultural insight: Leadership recognized that cultural compatibility was not just about skills but about values alignment and working styles

Key Lessons

• Culture fit matters: Technical skills alone don't guarantee success - alignment with company values and working style is crucial
• Previous environments shape expectations: Employees carry cultural expectations from previous employers that can help or hinder their adaptation
• Cultural due diligence: Companies should assess cultural compatibility during hiring, not just technical qualifications
• Two-way evaluation: Job candidates should evaluate company culture fit as carefully as companies evaluate them
• Cultural questions for interviews: Ask specific questions like "What are 3-5 adjectives that define this culture?" and "What's the biggest problem in this culture?"
• Culture add vs. culture fit: Focus on how diverse perspectives can enhance culture rather than requiring conformity
• Distributed operations require stronger culture: The more distributed a company, the more important a strong, clear culture becomes
• Culture as decision guide: "Culture is what happens around here when the boss is not around" - it guides employee decisions