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Imagine this: You’re a startup founder looking to hire your first executive. You sit down for an interview, ask all the right questions, and the candidate gives perfect answers. Charismatic, confident, full of big ideas—it all seems great.
You hire them.
A few months later, you realize they weren’t what they claimed to be. They can’t lead a team, they don’t deliver results, and suddenly, you’re stuck cleaning up the mess.
Sound familiar? That’s exactly the mistake Airbnb’s co-founder and CEO, Brian Chesky, warns against.
"Unfortunately, the executives have more experience bullshitting you than you have experience detecting their bullshit," he says.
In other words, they’ve been in more interviews than you. They know exactly what to say. And if you’re not an expert at hiring yet, they’ll run circles around you.
So what’s the solution? Chesky has one: Prioritize references over interviews.
Why References Matter More Than Resumes
Most founders believe hiring is all about interviews—digging deep with the right questions, gauging personality, and assessing skills. But Chesky argues that who a person is in the real world matters more than what they say in an interview.
"You can become good at interviewing," he says. "But what do you do until you're good at interviewing? You are fooled."
That’s why references are so critical. Instead of just listening to what someone says about themselves, you hear directly from people who have worked with them.
Chesky recalls advice he got from legendary VC firm Andreessen Horowitz:
"You should do eight hours of reference checks per employee."
While he admits that might be a little extreme, the message is clear: Spend as much time checking references as you do interviewing.
The "Hidden Talent Network" Approach to Hiring
Another mistake founders make? Only hiring when there’s an open role.
Chesky believes this is the wrong approach.
"If you only recruit for a job opening, then you are going to create a sales pipeline. And I think hiring is too much like a sales pipeline," he says.
Instead, he suggests thinking about hiring like network building.
Here’s how it works:
Ask great people who the best people are. Every talented person knows other talented people. Start with someone you respect and ask them who they would hire.
Then ask those people. Once you get a few names, reach out. Find out who they respect in their field.
Keep repeating. If you do this consistently, you’ll build a "hidden talent network"—a list of incredible people who might not even be looking for a job yet.
This method ensures you always have access to top talent before you even need to hire them.
Real-World Example: How Airbnb Built Its Leadership Team
When Airbnb was growing fast, they needed to bring in experienced leaders to help scale the company. But instead of relying on traditional hiring, Chesky and his team leaned heavily on references and networks.
Take Belinda Johnson, Airbnb’s first Chief Operating Officer. Chesky didn’t just meet her through a job application—he found her through strong recommendations from his network. She had spent years at Yahoo navigating complex legal and operational challenges, and everyone who had worked with her raved about her leadership.
That’s what made the decision easy.
She went on to become one of the most important executives in Airbnb’s history, playing a key role in its global expansion and IPO.
Had they just relied on interviews, they might have missed her. But through references, they knew they were hiring a proven leader, not just a smooth talker.
Final Takeaway: Hire Like You Build a Company
Most startups fail because they hire the wrong people. But the best founders don’t rely on gut instinct alone—they use networks and references to find real talent.
Here’s how to apply Brian Chesky’s hiring philosophy:
✅ Trust references more than interviews. What others say about a candidate is more valuable than what they say about themselves.
✅ Spend serious time on reference checks. If someone is great, people will vouch for them. If they’re not, you’ll know quickly.
✅ Build a talent network. Don’t wait for job openings—always be looking for incredible people.
Hiring is one of the most important skills for a founder. Get it right, and your company scales like Airbnb. Get it wrong, and you spend years fixing mistakes.
The best teams don’t happen by accident. Go build yours the right way.
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