Airbnb cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky is not a fan of email .
“I just find it inferior to almost every other form of communication,” he told Time last month .
Chesky isn’t sure whether he drafts even one original email per week, though he does respond to emails sent to him. Asked if people should use email at all, he replied, “Not very often.”
Chesky said he prefers texting because, while email is organized around subjects, texting is organized around people. This makes it faster and more personal.
“You feel a deeper connection to the person,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like work to respond.”
People are also more likely to respond quickly. “The notifications pop up right on your phone,” he added.
Although he tries to avoid texting staff when they are with their families, Chesky admits that the line between work and life for him is “probably [more] blended than the average person.”
“I think that everyone has a right to run their company how they want,” he said.
Chesky added that Zoom calls are better than texts, and that the best way to communicate is in person.
He’s not the only one skeptical of email.
Last year, Francis Hellyer, founder and CEO of the ticketing platform Tickadoo, told Fast Company that email slows down communication.
“Email isn’t the holy grail for every team,” Hellyer said. “[Messaging apps bring] real-time connections, speedy decisions, and a culture of instant collaboration.
