In the pursuit of success, many of us believe that reaching our career goals will be the key to lifelong happiness. It's a common narrative in the world of entrepreneurship and business. However, the story of Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky challenges this conventional wisdom.

Chesky recently shared his unique perspective on success and happiness during an interview on Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast. Despite Airbnb's remarkable popularity and its skyrocketing private valuation throughout the 2010s, Chesky didn't find the fulfillment he expected.

He believed that taking the company public through an IPO would be the turning point, but the reality was quite different.

The IPO, which took place in December 2020, was a monumental event for Airbnb, with its opening valuation soaring from $47 billion to a staggering $86.5 billion in less than a day. However, instead of feeling elated, Chesky described it as "one of the saddest periods" of his life.

So, why did success not bring the happiness he anticipated? Chesky's journey provides some valuable insights.

The Illusion of Success

Chesky candidly admitted that he had a common misconception about success: he believed it would solve all his problems and bring him lasting happiness. He thought that achieving success would lead to a life filled with friends and a sense of fulfillment.

"When I got successful, I thought I'd have all these people around me, have all these friends ... everything in my life would be fixed," Chesky explained. However, he soon realized that this wasn't the case.

The Loneliness of Success

Chesky's story begins in 2008 when he, along with co-founders Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk, founded Airbnb in Silicon Valley. In those early days, the trio was inseparable.

However, as the company expanded, so did the families of his co-founders, and Chesky gradually found himself with more alone time.

In response to this growing isolation, Chesky poured all his energy into making Airbnb even more successful, hoping that it would fill the void in his life. But despite the company's remarkable growth, it couldn't replace the meaningful connections he longed for.

The Harvard Study on Happiness

To shed light on Chesky's experience, we can turn to a decades-long study conducted by Harvard University, which began in 1938. The study has consistently shown that career and financial success alone does not lead to greater contentment.

Instead, the happiest individuals prioritize what researchers refer to as "social fitness" – the act of regularly investing time in relationships.

Marc Schulz, one of the project's researchers, emphasized, "Money can't buy us happiness, but it's a tool that can give us security and safety and a sense of control over our lives." Ultimately, it's our connections with others that bring true happiness.

The Importance of Relationships

The Harvard study reveals that optimal relationships can put us at ease, make us feel safer, and offer opportunities for learning and personal growth.

Additionally, individuals with positive connections tend to live longer, highlighting the profound impact of relationships on our overall well-being.

Chesky's Journey to Rediscovery

In light of his realization of the importance of social fitness, Chesky decided to reinvest in his social well-being. As a part of his solution, he listed his own San Francisco home on Airbnb, where guests could stay in his spare room.

These visitors were treated to home-baked chocolate chip cookies and guided tours of Airbnb's headquarters.

Six months later, Airbnb launched its "Airbnb Rooms" service, allowing hosts to rent out individual bedrooms in their homes. Since this announcement in early May, Airbnb's stock price has risen significantly, reaching $144.14 per share, up from $118.86.

In Chesky's words, "A lot of us try to climb a mountain because we feel like when we get to the top of that mountain, something will be filled inside of us.

Some of the most difficult periods in people's lives aren't when they fail, but when they get to the top of that mountain and realize they don't feel any differently."

Brian Chesky's journey from the pursuit of success to the rediscovery of the importance of relationships offers a valuable lesson. It reminds us that while success and financial achievement are undoubtedly essential, they are not a panacea for happiness. True contentment often lies in the quality of our connections with others.