I don't know if today's publicity would do it, but AirBnB is so great at PR that it is difficult to believe. (They also give out some great tips in their Founders at Work interviews. Watch them, guys.) I'd give them a better than 50% shot at getting covered in the New York Times for this -- again -- and that is a heck of a lot better than the "Pay us a $X0,000 retainer a month and, well, no promises" PR firms will get you.

I wouldn't be surprised if what he learns from using the service so intensively is worth more than the publicity.

Three words: legitimate business expense.

I am not a tax attorney, but I would think everything spent with AirBNB providers during this period would qualify as research, and as promotion.

Even if he told no one about this experiment, the insights he will get from relying on his own site 100% will be extremely helpful - he'll have first-hand experience on exactly what he needs to improve about the site.

The apartment may have cost him $800 a month, however you have other costs, bills, taxes, maintenance. He doesn't have any of that worry or expense now, so it will probably work out cheaper for him.

In my experience rooms/apartments costing $800/$2400 don't usually have bills, taxes, maintenance or other costs totalling $1000/$3000 (respectively).

If you get a 3 room apartment for $800 a month in SF, then why are people there always whining about super high rents?

I think he means that the guy from airbnb was paying $800/mo for his room. That would be $2400/mo total if there's 3 tenets each paying $800/mo.

> The apartment room he used to stay in probably cost him $800, so it's about $1000 more expensive to use Airbnb.

You can't rent an apartment nightly.

True, although he may insist on paying list price, don't know he's financial situation, I'm sure being a founder that fair few of the people listing would cut him a deal.

I could be wrong but he also could legally expense this. If so then its a huge win, haha.