Define Success Metrics for Airbnb's Nearby Activities and Experiences Discovery Feature

Airbnb's "Things to do" feature shows guests activities around their destination, including experiences that local hosts run and guests can book. You are the product manager who owns it. Explain how you would determine whether the feature is successful: the goal you would hold it to, the metrics you would use to judge it, and which one you would treat as the main measure of success. ```hint Think beyond the tab Ask what the feature is supposed to do for guests, for the hosts who run experiences and for Airbnb's core stays business. A metric that only counts visits to the page cannot tell you whether any of those goals were met. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does "Things to do" here mean only the discovery surface (activity pages and recommendations), or the whole paid experiences marketplace, including bookings and host supply? - Is the feature newly launched, where adoption matters most, or mature, where revenue and repeat use matter more? - Should success be judged mainly for guests who already have a stay booked, or also for travelers still planning a trip who have not booked lodging? - Is the main business goal revenue from experience bookings, or making Airbnb stays more attractive so guests book and return more often? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A stated goal for the feature, tied to Airbnb's mission and business, chosen before any metric. - The guest and experience-host journeys, with a metric at each step from discovery through booking, attendance and review. - One primary success metric with a clear justification, plus supporting metrics and guardrails on quality, trust and the core stays business. - How to attribute a change to the feature itself (experiment or comparison design) rather than reading raw totals. ### Follow-up Questions - Experience bookings rise, but average ratings for experiences fall. Is the feature succeeding, and what would you do? - How would you tell whether the feature makes guests book more stays, rather than simply attracting guests who were already frequent travelers? - Which metrics would you emphasize when launching the feature in a city with very few experience hosts?