Metrics question
What A/B tests will you run to increase the booking rate among Airbnb guests?
- Airbnb
- Metrics
- Medium
Practice this question out loud. An AI interviewer asks it, follows up like a real interviewer would, and scores your answer. Type or speak.
Start a mock interview on this question · Mock interview from a job description
What this question tests
Designing a concrete, testable set of experiments targeting a specific funnel metric, not just listing ideas.
How to approach it
- Define the funnel stage being targeted, guests who search and view listings but do not complete a booking, and state the target metric, search to booking conversion rate.
- Propose test one, reducing perceived friction, a simplified checkout flow with fewer steps tested against the current flow.
- Propose test two, reducing uncertainty, enhanced trust signals like verified reviews or instant book badges more prominently on listing pages.
- Propose test three, pricing transparency, showing the total price including fees earlier in the flow versus revealing fees only at final checkout.
- Define how each test will be measured, booking conversion rate as the primary metric, with guardrails like cancellation rate and host acceptance rate.
What a strong answer includes
- Proposes specific, testable experiments, simplified checkout, prominent trust signals, and upfront pricing transparency, rather than a vague improve the funnel statement.
- Names the specific and well documented friction point in travel booking, fee surprise at final checkout, and proposes directly testing earlier price transparency.
- Sets a clear primary metric and guardrails together, booking conversion paired with post booking cancellation rate, ensuring the tests do not just rush guests into bookings they later cancel.
Common mistakes
- Listing generic test ideas with no specific mechanism or reasoning for why each would move the metric.
- No guardrail metric to check that increased bookings are not followed by higher cancellations or complaints.
- Not defining a clear primary metric before proposing the individual tests.
Likely follow-up questions
- Which of these tests would you prioritize running first and why?
- How would you handle a test that increases bookings but also increases cancellations?
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Learn the skill behind it
Chapters of the AI PM course that teach what this question tests.
- Chapter 9: Prove it paid off: outcomes, economics, and pricing
- Chapter 2: Data fluency: SQL, logs, and reading the truth yourself
- Chapter 14: Get the job: the AI PM interview loop