It’s all about how you make them feel

Well the Airbnb wasn’t what I had expected.

At the start of the week we checked into our Airbnb in the heart of Amsterdam. As our host Niels welcomed us into the apartment I realised this was actually his home. We were surrounded by Niels’ - as well as his young children’s - stuff. A fluffy unicorn on the windowsill. A fridge full of jars and tupperwares. In the bedrooms, the wardrobes full of clothes. He moves out for a few days at a time to let it to guests like us.

“What’s mine is yours,” he told us, explaining we should help ourselves to whatever we wanted from the kitchen cupboards.

Of course this was the original purpose of Airbnb - to invite guests into your home. When Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia launched Airbnb back in 2008, they were struggling to pay the rent increase on their San Francisco apartment. A design conference was coming to town. Delegates needed cheap places to stay. They rented out space on their floor, inviting guests into their home. Just like Niels.

In some ways the apartment wasn't perfect - there was a lot of 'stuff' around - but our host overrode that by how he made us feel.

As Niels stood at the kitchen counter cutting the stems off a large bunch of flowers that he then distributed into vases around the apartment, I was reminded of why I often choose an Airbnb over a homogenous hotel experience. This way you live like a local.

As I fly home I’m struck by the opportunity we all have - as brands, businesses, leaders, solo entrepreneurs, whatever we do - to behave like indie-minded Airbnb hosts rather than identikit hotel owners. To focus on how we make our customers or audience feel. And to brighten their lives with a bunch of metaphorical fresh flowers.