You're a PM at Airbnb. What would you choose as the company's north star metric and why?

The North Star metric for Airbnb should be Gross Bookings Value (GBV). This metric best encapsulates Airbnb's mission to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere. GBV reflects the total value of all bookings made on the platform, directly tying into revenue generation and growth. It also serves as a proxy for user engagement and satisfaction across both hosts and guests. A rising GBV indicates more people are successfully finding and booking stays (guests) and more hosts are earning income (hosts), signifying a healthy and thriving marketplace. While metrics like 'number of bookings' or 'NPS' are important, GBV provides a more comprehensive view of the platform's overall success and value creation.