Airbnb founders once sold $40 election-themed cereal boxes to keep the startup alive
sven_ai · x · 2026-11-13
In 2008, with no traffic and mounting credit card debt, Airbnb's founders designed election-themed cereal boxes — Obama O's and Cap'n McCain's — selling at $40 each to stay afloat.
At their YC interview, Paul Graham was won over by the story: investors often back founders' persistence more than a polished product.
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