Airbnb Online Experiences: North-Star Metric and Guardrails for Live Video Activities

Airbnb Online Experiences lets hosts run live activities over video, and guests anywhere in the world book a place in a session. How would you measure whether this product is a success? Lay out what success means for guests, hosts and Airbnb, which metric you would treat as the main one, and what else you would track alongside it. ```hint Two sides, one session Every session needs a host willing to keep offering it and guests happy enough to book again. Decide what a good outcome is for each side before you pick any numbers. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - What stage is the product at: recently launched and still looking for fit, or established and expected to grow revenue? - Should success be judged on Online Experiences alone, or also on its effect on Airbnb's stays and in-person experiences? - Are private bookings for groups, such as families or company teams, in scope as well as individual seats? - Is either side of the marketplace, hosts or guests, the current bottleneck? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Why the product exists for guests, hosts and Airbnb, and a definition of success tied to the product's stage - One clearly defined north-star metric, with the reasoning for choosing it over alternatives such as bookings or revenue - Funnels and supporting metrics for both guests and hosts, plus marketplace health - Guardrails for quality, safety and the effect on Airbnb's core business - Prioritization of the few metrics that matter most, and how they would be segmented ### Follow-up Questions - Bookings climb but the average rating falls. What do you investigate first? - How would you find out whether Online Experiences leads guests to book stays later, rather than simply attracting people who would have booked anyway? - Travel restrictions lift and bookings drop. Does that mean the product is failing?