Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky on what your startup can learn from Ernest Shackleton’s famous job ad…
At the end of the interview process, the Airbnb founder will usually tell the candidate all of the reasons they shouldn’t take the job:
“It’s going to be the longest hours you’ve ever had. I’m going to hold you to higher standards. It’s going to be day and night. It’s going to be this. It’s going to be that.”
As Brian points out, this is often the opposite of what recruiters will do:
“Recruiters often want to sell their company as a country club - we have great benefits, we have great this, we have great that. And it creates mismanaged expectations.”
But the best people want a challenge.
Brian reads the famous job ad Ernest Shackleton ran in a newspaper to recruit men for his Endurance expedition:
“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.”
Brian believes this is one of the best job ads ever:
“Don’t sell a rosy picture of the experience… Why do the most fit people in the world want to be Navy SEALs? Because they want the challenge. The average person doesn’t want a challenge, but the best people want a challenge. And so that will turn off mediocre people, but it will turn on great people.”
Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky on what your startup can learn from Ernest Shackleton’s famous job ad…
At the end of the interview process, the Airbnb founder will usually tell the candidate all of the reasons they shouldn’t take the job:
“It’s going to be the longest hours you’ve ever had. I’m going to hold you to higher standards. It’s going to be day and night. It’s going to be this. It’s going to be that.”
As Brian points out, this is often the opposite of what recruiters will do:
“Recruiters often want to sell their company as a country club - we have great benefits, we have great this, we have great that. And it creates mismanaged expectations.”
But the best people want a challenge.
Brian reads the famous job ad Ernest Shackleton ran in a newspaper to recruit men for his Endurance expedition:
“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.”
Brian believes this is one of the best job ads ever:
“Don’t sell a rosy picture of the experience… Why do the most fit people in the world want to be Navy SEALs? Because they want the challenge. The average person doesn’t want a challenge, but the best people want a challenge. And so that will turn off mediocre people, but it will turn on great people.”
