Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says he writes just one email a week because it's 'inferior' to texting

In a landscape where many leaders feel overwhelmed by their inboxes—often rising early to tackle an endless barrage of emails—Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky presents a contrasting approach. He admits that he rarely sends emails, believing that professionals should minimize their reliance on this form of communication. According to Chesky, he may not even write one email per week, stating, "I respond to emails every day because people email me. But I'm trying to think of the last time I, like, drafted an email."

Chesky's critique of email is clear: he finds it less effective than nearly every other communication method available. He elaborates, "Email is subject-based. Text message is person-based. Text messages are much faster. It's contextual. You feel a deeper connection. The person doesn't have a subject line. When you get a text message, it doesn't feel like work to respond."

He distinguishes emails as tasks that feel burdensome, which is why he prefers to communicate through text with his staff, numbering around 8,200, as it often yields quicker responses.

"I do think that text is a lot more responsive than mail," he explains. "Like the notifications pop up right on your phone. If I have a problem, my general philosophy is to try to call someone, text them, meet them in person." In his opinion, the hierarchy of communication efficacy is as follows: "the best forms of communication are in person, number one; Zoom, number two; text, number three; probably email, number four."

After-hours work: Encouraged by some CEOs, despised by Gen Z and millennials

While Chesky perceives texting as more personal, many employees contend that any communication from a superior—regardless of the medium—still feels akin to work.

Yet, Chesky remains untroubled by this perspective. "Everyone has a right to run their company how they want," he states.

Although he tries to avoid messaging employees during their family time unless necessary, Chesky admits that his own boundaries between work and personal life are likely "more blended than the average person."

He is not alone in his approach—other CEOs also blur the lines between professional and personal time. The founder and CEO of Farmer J, a well-known healthy fast-food chain in London, revealed to Fortune that he has never activated his out-of-office auto-reply, even during his honeymoon.

Similarly, Anna Lundstrom, CEO of Nespresso's U.K. and Ireland operations, expressed to Fortune that her team can reach her through multiple platforms at any time, from Teams and email to WhatsApp and LinkedIn. "I think I'd always rather know something than not," she noted, mentioning that she keeps her phone readily accessible from the moment she awakens.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has gone as far as to assert that sending emails over the weekend is simply "part of working hard," and encourages swift responses from employees even during their time off. "If I don't get a response on Saturday, I'm sending them an email on Sunday with a question mark: What's going on?" he shared on the Diary of a CEO podcast.

While Chesky and his peers may favor text for quick communication, excessive notifications outside of standard work hours could lead to significant repercussions, such as employee resignations. Research conducted by recruitment platform Reed has shown that a quarter of millennial workers would consider quitting if contacted outside work hours, with 59% of individuals aged 18 to 34 indicating a willingness to seek new employment opportunities to safeguard their work-life balance.