Airbnb's Pivot to "Belong Anywhere"

In 2013, Chip Conley joined Airbnb as Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, bringing hospitality expertise to a tech company
Airbnb was primarily positioned as a home-sharing platform competing with hotels
The company was growing rapidly but hadn't yet articulated its deeper purpose beyond the functional service
There was a disconnect between how the tech team viewed "product" (the website/app) and how hospitality veterans viewed "product" (the homes/experiences)

About a year after Chip joined, the leadership team began questioning their fundamental business definition
They asked: "Are we in the home sharing business or are we in some kind of business that is even bigger and broader than that?"
Working with Jonathan Goldenhall (CMO), they explored what unrecognized needs their service fulfilled beyond just accommodation
They applied Chip's "Peak" framework based on Maslow's hierarchy, which positions meeting unrecognized needs as the highest level of customer value
Through this process, they redefined Airbnb's purpose as being in the "belong anywhere" business

This redefinition became an organizing principle that influenced multiple aspects of the business:
- Host training focused on creating a sense of belonging for guests
- Marketing and advertising emphasized the belonging concept
- The "everywhere" aspect highlighted Airbnb's advantage over hotels (homes exist everywhere)
The new positioning helped differentiate Airbnb from being merely a cheaper alternative to hotels
It created an emotional connection with users beyond the transactional relationship
This purpose-driven approach helped guide the company through its rapid growth phase

Elevate beyond functional benefits: Companies can transform by identifying the deeper emotional needs they fulfill rather than defining themselves by their functional service
Apply hierarchical thinking to customer needs: Using frameworks like Maslow's hierarchy helps identify unrecognized needs that can differentiate your offering
Purpose drives alignment: A clear purpose statement ("belong anywhere") creates an organizing principle that aligns product, marketing, and operations
Bridge expertise gaps: The redefinition emerged from combining tech industry thinking with hospitality expertise - demonstrating the value of diverse perspectives
Reframe competition: By defining themselves as being in the "belong anywhere" business rather than home-sharing, Airbnb created a category they could own rather than competing directly with hotels
Operational clarity follows purpose: Once the purpose was clear, it became easier to teach hosts how to deliver on the promise and align marketing with the core value proposition