Why Airbnb and what matters most

A strong response should feel personal, specific, and grounded in action. The interviewer is usually testing mission alignment, self-awareness, and whether your values show up in how you actually behave. ## Recommended structure Use a simple three-part pattern: 1. **Belief:** what you genuinely care about 2. **Evidence:** a story or experience that shaped that belief 3. **Action:** what you have done, consistently, because of that belief Then connect that back to why working at Airbnb is a credible extension of those values. --- ## 1) Why Airbnb? A strong answer should avoid generic praise like "great brand" or "interesting problems." Instead, tie together: - the mission - the product impact - your personal motivation - the role you want to play ### Good themes - creating belonging and connection across cultures - enabling economic opportunity for hosts - building trust in a global marketplace - using technology to improve real human experiences, not just screen time metrics ### Strong answer pattern - Start with what about Airbnb's mission resonates with you. - Mention a concrete product or marketplace challenge that excites you. - Explain why your background fits that challenge. ### Example outline "I am drawn to Airbnb because it sits at the intersection of technology, trust, and real-world human experience. I like products where better machine learning can directly improve decisions people care about, such as discovery, quality, and trust. I also connect with the idea of belonging and making travel or hosting more accessible. That mission feels meaningful to me, and the role is a place where I could apply ML to a product that affects real lives in visible ways." --- ## 2) What is one of the biggest problems in the world? There is no single correct topic. The key is to choose something authentic and discuss it thoughtfully. ### Good answer qualities - specific enough to discuss meaningfully - important enough to show values - balanced rather than performative - connected to how you think and act Examples of reasonable themes: - lack of access to opportunity - social isolation and loss of community - climate resilience - misinformation and declining trust - unequal access to education or healthcare ### Strong answer pattern - name the problem - explain why you think it matters - mention a personal reason or observation - avoid sounding like you are trying to guess the "right" moral answer ### Example outline "One of the biggest problems is unequal access to opportunity. Many outcomes are still heavily shaped by where someone is born, who they know, or what resources they start with. That matters to me because talent is widely distributed, but opportunity is not. I care about systems that reduce that gap, whether through education, mobility, or economic access." --- ## 3) What cause matters most to you, and how do you support it? This is where many answers become weak. The cause matters less than whether you have acted on it. ### Strong answer ingredients - a cause you genuinely care about - why it is personal to you - specific, repeated actions - realistic scope Examples of concrete support: - mentoring students or early-career engineers - volunteering with local education programs - donating consistently to targeted organizations - organizing community efforts - building tools or contributing technical work for nonprofits ### Strong answer pattern "A cause I care deeply about is access to education and mentorship. Early guidance changes trajectories, and many people do not have it. Because of that, I regularly mentor students and junior engineers, review resumes, and help people prepare for technical interviews. I try to support the cause in ways that are sustainable and measurable rather than only talking about it." --- ## How to connect all three answers The best version makes the three prompts reinforce each other. For example: - your world problem is lack of opportunity - your personal cause is mentorship or economic mobility - your reason for joining Airbnb is that it creates access, belonging, and economic opportunity at scale That creates a coherent narrative instead of three unrelated answers. --- ## Common mistakes Avoid these pitfalls: - giving a polished but generic company answer - naming an enormous global problem with no personal insight - claiming to care deeply about something but giving no concrete actions - sounding ideological without nuance or humility - making the answer entirely about what the company can do for you --- ## A concise high-quality sample "I want to work at Airbnb because it builds technology around real human experiences: trust, belonging, and access. I am especially excited by problems where ML can improve quality and decision-making in a marketplace, because those improvements have a direct effect on guests and hosts. One of the biggest problems in the world, in my view, is unequal access to opportunity. A person's starting point still determines too much of their future. That belief matters to me personally, because I have seen how much guidance and access can change outcomes. The cause I support most consistently is mentorship and access to education. I try to contribute in practical ways: mentoring students, helping people prepare for interviews, and sharing resources with people who do not already have a network. Part of why Airbnb resonates with me is that it also expands opportunity, both economically for hosts and socially for travelers. That alignment makes the mission feel real to me, not abstract." This style is strong because it is mission-aligned, specific, and backed by action.