Build a Two-Year Success Scorecard for Airbnb's Guest and Host Marketplace

Suppose you lead product for all of Airbnb. Explain which metrics you would rely on to judge whether Airbnb is succeeding over the next two years, how those metrics fit together, and why you chose them over the alternatives. ```hint Fit the metrics to the horizon Two years is long enough for short-term pushes to backfire. Think about what a booking-volume or revenue target could hide about guests, hosts and trust, and how you would catch that early. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Should the scorecard cover all of Airbnb, including newer offerings such as Experiences, or focus on the core stays marketplace? - Is there a strategic priority for these two years, such as growing in particular regions or in longer stays, that the metrics should reflect? - Who is the scorecard for: the board and leadership team, or product teams that will set their own goals from it? - Are business metrics such as revenue and margin in scope, or only product and customer outcomes? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A clear view of what success means for Airbnb's two-sided marketplace over two years, tied to its mission and business model. - A north-star metric defended against alternatives such as gross booking value, revenue or active users. - Supporting metrics across guests, hosts, marketplace health, trust and safety, and the business, organized into a coherent structure. - Guardrails against short-term gaming, and leading indicators that can be read well before the two years end. - How targets are set and reviewed, accounting for seasonality, travel shocks and regulation. ### Follow-up Questions - Nights booked keep growing, but the share of guests who book again is falling. What do you conclude and what do you do? - How would you tell whether hosts are healthier when many of them also list on other platforms? - Which single metric would you report to the board, and which metric would you never let a team optimize on its own?