← All questions
Metricsstandard
Choose a north star metric for Airbnb and defend it.
How to approach it
Remember the two sides of the marketplace. A good north star must reflect value for both guests and hosts.
How a strong answer opens
“Airbnb is a two-sided marketplace, so whatever I pick has to capture value for both guests and hosts. Let me compare a few candidates before choosing.”
Outline of a strong answer
Try answering out loud for a few minutes before you open this.
- Describe value for guests and for hosts
- Compare candidates: bookings, nights booked, revenue, active listings
- Pick nights booked and explain why it captures both sides
- Show the inputs: supply, search to booking conversion, repeat guests
- Name guardrails: cancellations, review scores
- Say when you would change the metric (for example, a new experiences business)
Where this question usually goes wrong
Picking a one-sided metric like active listings or app visits that can grow while guests and hosts get less value.
Learn the method
Choosing a north-star metric in Module 2, Metrics and execution.
The full kit has worked answers in full, start to finish, for every round type. $129 once.
More metrics questions
- What would be the north star metric for Spotify?
- What metric would you pick as the north star for a meditation app?
- What metrics matter most for a B2B project management tool?
- You're launching saved searches on a home-listing site. What goal would you set for the first quarter?
- Set a quarterly goal for a ride-sharing app's driver retention team.