What should Airbnb's key north star metrics be?

Airbnb's North Star Metric should align with its core mission: to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere. A strong candidate for this metric is 'Nights Booked' or 'Experiences Booked' by guests, as this directly reflects the company's value proposition and drives revenue for both hosts and Airbnb.

This metric is a good North Star because it is:

• Customer-centric: It represents a core value delivered to guests (travel and unique experiences).
• Business-aligned: It directly correlates with revenue generation for hosts and Airbnb.
• Actionable: Product teams can directly influence this metric through initiatives that improve booking conversion, inventory, and user experience.
• Measurable: It's a quantifiable outcome that can be tracked over time.

To support this North Star, key input metrics would include:

• Guest Acquisition: Number of new users signing up and completing their first booking.
• Host Acquisition & Activation: Number of new hosts joining and listing properties/experiences.
• Listing Supply: Number of available properties and experiences.
• Search Conversion Rate: Percentage of searches that result in a booking.
• Booking Conversion Rate: Percentage of listing views that result in a booking.
• Guest Satisfaction/Repeat Bookings: Metrics indicating positive experiences that drive future bookings.