The Craigslist Hack That Built Airbnb’s $75B Empire

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How did Airbnb quietly turn Craigslist into its launchpad and build a $75B empire? In this 10-minute deep dive we unpack the Craigslist hack step-by-step — timeline, receipts, and the controversial growth tactics that fueled Airbnb’s early user surge. From automated listings and scraping to classified-category hijacks and legal pushback, see the exact moves that accelerated growth and reshaped the sharing economy. Perfect for tech history fans, founders, marketers, and curious viewers who want a concise, evidence-backed breakdown.

If you found this useful, please like and share the video. More timeline receipts and growth case studies coming soon.

#Airbnb #Craigslist #GrowthHacking #StartupHistory #TechExplainer

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OUTLINE:

00:00:00 | How One Startup Borrowed a Giant's Audience
00:00:48 | A Small Site in a Big World
00:04:51 | Engineering a Bridge to Millions
00:12:09 | Charting the Growth Hack's Impact
00:16:54 | Evidence of a Controversial Strategy
00:17:51 | Craigslist's Inevitable Response
00:18:38 | Innovation or Exploitation?
00:19:36 | Building a Product That Lasts
00:20:30 | Growth, Guts, and the Gray Areas of Tech

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