Airbnb's Brian Chesky says he writes less than one email a week

Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky said he rarely drafts emails, telling Time he doubts he writes one a week, according to an account published by Fortune on October 15, 2026.

Chesky said he still replies to messages daily because people email him, but he considers the format "inferior to almost every other form of communication." He described email as organized around subjects rather than people, and said text messages are faster, carry more context and do not feel like work to answer.

He ranked his preferred channels as meeting in person first, Zoom second, text third and email fourth, and said he would rather text Airbnb's 8,200 employees because notifications reach them directly. Chesky said he tries to avoid texting staff when he believes they are with their families unless there is a crisis, and acknowledged his own work and personal life are more "blended than the average person."

Fortune cited other executives with similar habits, including Nespresso U.K. and Ireland chief executive Anna Lundstrom, who said staff can reach her across Teams, email, WhatsApp and LinkedIn, and Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi, who has said weekend emails are part of working hard.

Research from the recruitment platform Reed found a quarter of millennial workers would quit if a manager contacted them outside work hours.

This story was first reported by Fortune.