Crazy fast growth, awesome people and pay, often exhausting - Customer Experience Lead Airbnb Employee Review

5.0
Feb 12, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Airbnb is one of those rare employers that really cares about what you think. We hire only the best of the best, so opinions are welcome and heard from anywhere -- whether you've been here 6 months or 5 years. The perks are great: travel to SF at least once a year, the chance to visit other offices (including outsourcers), breakfast and lunch daily, dogs in the office, great pay, "open concept" office and work station options... it goes on and on. We also work effing hard and the work is fun and challenging. Managers trust you to make best judgement calls and empower you to do your best work. Even if you don't particularly get along with your direct lead, there are several others that are there to support you. There is a lot of opportunity to move up and around. We all trust each other with our lives.

Cons

Hyper growth has meant some things, like basic training, can be overlooked. If you aren't someone that can work without guidance this may not be the place for you. Initiatives often live for 2 weeks only to die and be brought up again months later. Change is constant. Communication is improving, but not perfect. Work life balance is incredibly hard to make work for a lot of people. There can be a atmosphere akin to "drinking the koolaid."

Explore other reviews about Airbnb

5.0
Jun 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good time working there lots of cool people

Cons

overly-design-led, constant changing priorities based on whims from global leads

5.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Airbnb's mission of creating a world where anyone can belong anywhere strongly resonates with me. I'm excited by the opportunity to build products that operate at global scale and directly impact millions of users. My background in full-stack engineering, distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and AI-powered applications aligns well with Airbnb's focus on innovation, reliability, and exceptional user experiences. I am particularly attracted to Airbnb's engineering culture, emphasis on ownership, and commitment to solving complex technical challenges while delivering meaningful value to hosts, guests, and communities worldwide.

Cons

One challenge of working at Airbnb is the complexity that comes with operating a global platform at scale. Engineering teams must balance reliability, performance, compliance, and user experience across many markets and stakeholders. While this can make development and decision-making more complex, it is also one of the aspects that makes the work technically interesting and professionally rewarding.

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