The Kindred member who inspires us all

If there’s one person who embodies Kindred’s ethos — the emphasis on generosity and gratitude, the unabashed enthusiasm for travel and community and adventure — it’s Bob Krinsky. Our appreciation of Bob and everything he stands for has been memorialized in the oft-used company hashtag (and its accompanying sticker) #BeLikeBob. But Bob isn’t just a name. He’s a presence, a principle, and a person worth knowing. Let’s meet Bob, shall we?

I first met Bob in the spring of 2025 at a Kindred community event in a Brooklyn bar and bocce ball court. I was new to Kindred, taking in the scene as 20 or 30 members ate fries, poured each other beers from a pitcher, and compared travel notes. One man with salt and pepper hair and a big, bright smile seemed to know everyone. A lot of back claps, a lot of big-throated laughter. When I introduced myself, Bob let me know, in his self-effacing way, that he was kind of a big deal at Kindred.

Bob’s Kindred house swapping origin story

Bob explained his legendary status like this: The first time he hosted a Kindred member at his apartment in San Francisco, he went above and beyond, writing a five-page welcome letter, stocking the fridge with yogurt and a bottle of wine. Turns out, he relayed, that guest was actually a Kindred employee named Gabby. When she brought his welcome letter back to headquarters, he said, everyone was so impressed with his hosting skills that they started chanting: “Be like Bob!” That phrase ended up on a company sticker, he told me.

It turns out, that story is only half correct, and the whole story is even better. I got on the phone with Gabby Stieglitz, that original guest of Bob’s who now runs Kindred’s acceptance team. “I was new to Kindred,” she explained, “I had just been offered a full-time position, so I was excited to attend my first company onsite in San Francisco. I checked into Bob’s stunning high-rise apartment, where I'm greeted with fresh flowers and a seven-page handwritten note saying something like, ‘Welcome! You're my first guest. I am so excited. I've stocked the kitchen. Please feel free to use anything you'd like.’ I open the fridge, and it’s full of fresh vegetables and drinks — clearly things he bought just for me.”

Gabby headed over to the Kindred onsite, which always starts with a sticker ceremony that memorializes company milestones. Our CEO, Justine, introduced one sticker like so: “This sticker is about an exemplary member.” And she read aloud a line from the note that person recently sent to his hosting member: “I took my shoes off upon entering, did no jumping jacks in the living room or office, and threw no parties.” And then Justine announced, “That member’s name is Bob.”

“I'm sitting there, like: I think this is my host,” said Gabby. “There was a recognition. The way that this Bob guy wrote that note felt so similar to the note that my hosting member wrote to me. So I raised my hand, and I was like, ‘Is it Bob Krinsky?’ People started nodding, and I say: ‘Oh my god, he's my host right now!’ Everyone started dying laughing. No one had any idea he was even hosting — I was his first guest! I got to tell the entire team about Bob's note, and how he had stocked the fridge for me and left fresh flowers. It was just this full-circle moment.”

Gabby messaged Bob through the Kindred app and told him the story. “I was like, 'I hope you don't think this is weird, but we think that you show the true values of a Kindred member.’ I sent him a picture of a stack of his Kindred stickers, and he was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I love this.’”

How we at Kindred strive to #BeLikeBob

Since that onsite, Bob has attended Kindred holiday karaoke parties (”Don’t Stop Believin’” is a go-to), countless community events, and a recent conference where Justine and Bob had a fireside chat about the Kindred community.

Aside from those appearances, the spirit of Bob is truly threaded through the Kindred work environment. “When a member goes above and beyond,” explained Gabby, “we will often say, ‘Oh, they're like Bob.’ He comes up in conversation a lot.”

I asked Gabby to explain what it means, exactly, to “be like Bob.” She replied: “He’s the epitome of a perfect Kindred member in that he shares his home not out of necessity, but because he wants to connect with others. He loves sharing his space with people who will enjoy it. And there’s the trust factor: You meet Bob and you're like, ‘Oh yeah, this guy, I’m going to trust him with not only my home but my life.’”

Recently, Bob’s dad joined Kindred, and he immediately sent this message to his Kindred concierge: “My son is ‘Be like Bob.’ Does this mean anything to you?"

Why Bob loves house swapping

To quote Bob’s Kindred bio: “I’m grossly overpaid and have way more fun in my work life than I should.” So while Bob appreciates the fact that Kindred is more affordable than short-term vacation rentals or hotels, that’s not why he’s a member.

Bob gave me three reasons why he loves Kindred, and why he goes the extra mile:

1. “I think someone is more likely to feel like a guest in my home and more likely to take good care of my home if they come in and it feels special.”
2. “I get more joy out of the house swapping experience by knowing someone is going to come in and be surprised by thoughtful, unexpected little gestures. That’s what makes it fun for me.”
3. “I am invested in this community. When guests leave me thank you notes, they're always like, any time you want to stay at my place, just call. So I end up feeling like I have friends in other places. I really do feel like this is a community. And the bond is a love for travel and hosting. I see it more about community than travel, even though obviously it's about travel.”

More Bob house swap stories

Bob brings his special brand of TLC to every house swap. Here are just a few examples.

1. “I stayed in somebody's home and noticed that they had a mad love affair with their dog," Bob recalled. "There were a couple of toys that looked like they were puzzles to solve, so my gift of gratitude was sending her a dog intelligence toy. She went nuts! All because I paid attention."
2. “Somebody else I stayed with happened to be Jewish, and I’m Jewish. It was around Passover when I stayed at her place. So I sent her chocolate-covered matzo from a place in San Francisco that makes amazing chocolate-covered matzo.”
3. “Once I hosted a woman from Paris. Turns out we were both going to be in Brooklyn the next day. We met for coffee and took a three- or four-hour walk, which was lovely, because she had just been staying in my San Francisco apartment. It was a wonderful, strangely intimate feeling to meet someone who had just stayed in my home for 11 nights. We are still in touch.”

Bob’s new NYC high-rise house swap

After a year of staying in nearly a dozen Brooklyn Kindred homes to be closer to his sons, he made the move permanent. And in true Kindred fashion, one of the first things he did after settling into his stunning high-rise?

He listed his new home on Kindred, opening his door to the community that helped him get there.

New to Kindred? You probably have questions!

What even is Kindred?

Let’s start with the basics: Kindred is a members-only house swapping platform that makes it easy to exchange homes with vetted members around the world. Members list their home, search for other Kindred members in destinations they want to visit, and exchange stays — either simultaneously or flexibly, using credits. You earn credits when you host, and use those credits to stay at one of 140,000+ Kindred homes.

Does Kindred have an annual fee?

There are no annual membership fees with Kindred — we don't even take your credit card until you book a trip! At that point, you'll pay cleaning and service fees that average out to $35 a day. Here is more info about our pricing model.

How is Kindred different from short-term vacation rental sites?

Kindred is a house swapping platform, not a short-term vacation rental company. This third way of travel takes some getting used to — but once you do, the benefits (not only the lower cost, but the community, and the increased travel opportunities) might surprise and delight you — just like Bob.