3 years ago today, my world changed for the better.

Today is my 3 year “Airversary” at Airbnb and it feels like yesterday I started this journey. It’s continued to be a fun and wild ride and as I woke up this morning and began reflecting on my life and this fun start date at a company I greatly admire, many learnings I’ve gathered rushed through my head. Here are three of those learnings that came top of mind on this 3 year anniversary of joining a company that is helping change travel as we know it around the world, one Host and guest at a time.?

Learning #1: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” ~Mike Tyson

These amusing and still relevant words first came out from the former World Heavyweight Champion of the world, Mike Tyson, when he was interviewed in the 1990s before a fight with boxer Evander Holyfield. Holyfield had significant 15/2 odds against him and actually had part of his ear bitten off during that infamous fight. Although violence is never the answer to anything as we've seen in recent days, it was a savage scene on the canvas and the brawler Mike Tyson spoke these words to a reporter when he was asked about his plan for the fight ahead of the match. Holyfield ended up winning this fight and his career trajectory changed even more rapidly than even he had anticipated. This ‘off the cuff’ comment parallels the experiences I’ve had the last 3 years here at Airbnb. Not in a negative way of figuring things out on the fly, but instead, how Airbnb has been truly resilient and adaptive to previously plans made that required change.?

In the past 3 years, we have each personally experienced a global pandemic that many thought would last only a few weeks, but is still with us. The pandemic has impacted our Airbnb Community and our business and has been at first surprisingly resilient but then more understood as the world of travel has changed around us. Today, guests stay longer in Airbnbs than ever before and as a public company with short, mid and long-term plans, we’ve had to learn to adapt to what the world has thrown our way.?

One of the key learnings I take with me is that I want to always be a part of a company that is bigger than myself. A company that is purpose and mission driven vs. a company out for profitability or for individual gain alone. When Afghan refugees were seeking shelter outside of their homeland, Airbnb.org announced initially 10,000 to 20,000 Open Homes would be provided by our platform to these individuals and families. Airbnb.org recently announced plans for another 20,000 to leverage our global network on top of the original commitment. With the incredibly heartbreaking Ukrainian conflict still in flight, our platform has committed to helping 100,000 Ukrainian refugees find a place to stay as they begin to move in the coming months. We did not plan for this to happen at the beginning of the year, but we have collectively reacted and adjusted our plans. Being a part of a company that can leverage our platform reach for good is something I’m very proud to be a part of.?

Despite having the most aligned and integrated company priorities and roadmap across Airbnb than we’ve ever had, plans and our strategy still continue to evolve every day. I’ve continually learned that plans can change when reality and unexpected events hit, but the more we can align on what problems we’re solving for and the outcomes we want to achieve together, the more clarity we collectively will receive that the things we’re working on are the best things for the Airbnb Community. I heard this saying recently that we need to be “inflexible on our goals, but flexible with how we get there.” This quote resonated with me as plans will always change, but how we adapt, roll forward with what comes our way and keep going, good things will happen ahead.

Learning #2: Everyone loves change, until it happens to them.

Change. It’s one of the most overused and misunderstood words used in organizations and companies every day. Whether it’s starting at a new company, a new role within your organization, big swings in the financial or crypto markets, or gaining or losing a manager or leader with a re-org, change truly is the only constant today. At Airbnb, this word has taken on new meaning for me the past 3 years. It seems like each week, a new change takes place. Different altitudes and different magnitudes, but it continues forward with the changing world around us. In the modern workplace, most people would never say publicly they don’t like change. We’ve been challenged to adapt to change, but we are creatures of habit naturally. Is it ok to be uncomfortable with change? I say yes, but it's how we deal with the cards we're dealt is the key.?

At Airbnb, I’ve had the continued privilege of leading a world-class team of global product managers, content and knowledge managers, and technical program managers in my org, who drive change through innovation and transformation every day. I recently have taken on additional responsibility for a new Digital management function that I will be building in support of our Community and there were changes in teams around us. My 2nd learning I've shared is a bit “cheeky” because as roles and teams change for people, I’ve seen many different behaviors and reactions to these types of changes during my time here and during my career. The people who embrace the change vs. resist them tend to land on their feet and adapt with the change that benefits everyone around them, including them. These “Change Champions” know how to adapt and use these opportunities to continue to learn and grow both personally and professionally.?

Airbnb has core values that connect “how” everyone works. These core values are part of our rigorous interview process for candidates and are taken very seriously as it helps determine the culture “fit” of individuals we work with everyday. One of my favorite core values is “Embrace the Adventure” and it’d be an understatement to say that we followed this core value over the past 3 years.

Change is inevitable. Everyone doesn’t really love change, but most people will be on board, until a change happens to them. What we do next is where it matters most. We can resist this change, or we can embrace it. I say, let’s embrace it together.

Learning #3: Investing in People and Relationships go far, during a pandemic and beyond.

At my previous company, LinkedIn, a core culture and value of the company was “Relationships Matter.” This core value is something I still follow in how I work and live today and applies very clearly in how we operate at Airbnb. What I have learned though is that relationships matter, but how you build those trusting relationships is through genuinely investing time and energy in people for who they are and what experiences they bring.

With my teams and with my colleagues at Airbnb, I’ve been incredibly lucky. I get to work with literally some of the most innovative and best people in their field every day but during this remote first, Zoom meeting filled world, building relationships over a video call has been harder than it ever was in the past pre-pandemic. Intentionally having to schedule meetings to connect with people within my team or across the company isn’t natural like running into someone during lunch or walking around the office during a break is. Despite these constraints, online collaboration tools have incrementally helped close the gap more than old school forms of communication, but these modern tools have not solved the connection and belonging you receive when you build a trusting relationship with a direct report or fellow team member.

I believe I’m a natural connector and I love being a mentor and developer of people. To individual contributors and leaders on my team or to people who are not in my organization, being a mentor and people manager to others is something I truly enjoy. I love getting to know individuals' backgrounds, hearing about what’s going on in their lives, sharing what’s going on in mine and connecting on similar wins, struggles and just life in general. I have been fortunate to have mentors and leaders I respect in my career who saw something in me and helped guide me to where I am today and I feel it’s only appropriate to help return the gifts and learnings that have been shared with me to others.?

Not all people I’ve seen are a good fit for a mentor/mentee relationship. Investing in relationships should not be a chore - it should be a combination of give and take vs. always taking and receiving. Learning that investing in relationships has a higher return than not is something I have seen at Airbnb during my time. When this is done right and we are able to invest in relationships and value these relationships for what they are, those benefits will carry beyond the world of the pandemic and will only become even more meaningful when we see our teams and colleagues again in person soon. I can’t wait for this day, hopefully soon. Until then, let’s keep investing in people and relationships, as they really DO matter.

Thank you to the AirFam for the wild but incredible 3 years at Airbnb. Thank you to my leadership who believes in and supports my team and I. Thank you to my team - I am thankful for the work you do every day for the Community. I could not do this without you and I’m grateful for the relationships I have invested in so far and for new ones I will building in years ahead. Thank you to my family, my amazing wife Susie and to our boys, Drew and Ben - you make my life complete, so much fun, and absolutely memorable every day.

Let’s keep going on this amazing and wild ride together. Let’s go!

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Andy Yasutake is the Global Director of Platform for Airbnb’s Community Support organization and business. Andy is responsible for Global Product Management, Global Content and Knowledge Management, Product Delivery and a new Digital Management function. Prior to Airbnb, Andy held executive leadership positions at LinkedIn, eBay and at Accenture specializing in Leadership, Product Management, Strategy & Innovation, Enterprise Technology & Architecture, Master Data Management, and Global CRM. Andy regularly shares interesting articles, funny blog posts, and his point of view and perspective on leadership, technology, career, investing and management related topics on LinkedIn and is a noted keynote speaker on Technology, Product Management, Customer Experience and best practices around the country and the world. If you are interested, please follow Andy on LinkedIn and on Twitter @yasusasu.