Designing a North Star Metric Framework for Airbnb's Marketplace

Which north star metrics should Airbnb use to tell whether it is succeeding? Propose them and explain why you chose them. ```hint Map the exchange first Before naming a metric, describe what a guest gets, what a host gets and how Airbnb gets paid when the marketplace works. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Should the metrics cover only stays, or also Experiences and Airbnb's other offerings? - Do you want a single north star, or is a small set of top-level metrics acceptable? - Is this for the company as a whole and worldwide, or for a specific push such as growing in a new market? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - How guests and hosts each get value and how Airbnb earns money, connected to its mission - A north star (or small set) with an exact definition, chosen over named alternatives - The input metrics that drive it, on both the guest side and the host side - Guardrails that keep the north star from rising at the expense of guests, hosts or the business, plus the chosen metric's weaknesses ### Follow-up Questions - Your north star keeps growing, but host numbers are flat and review scores are slipping. What do you investigate, and does the north star need to change? - How would you adapt your north star for Experiences, where bookings are short activities rather than stays? - When a travel shock collapses bookings for reasons outside the product, how do you judge whether the product is still healthy?