Thread by Brian O'Connor
- Tweet
- Feb 27, 2023
- #Business #OnlineMarketplace
Thread
It’s 2011. A horrified Airbnb founder thinks the business will burst
Until a classic fairy tale inspired him to change his business
Here’s the story (& the new method that made Airbnb $77B):
Until a classic fairy tale inspired him to change his business
Here’s the story (& the new method that made Airbnb $77B):
A guest trashed an Airbnb and got nationwide publicity
Airbnb's rapid growth makes edge cases more common
Founder, Brian Chesky, is terrified Airbnb will burst
He reads Walt Disney's biography to ease his mind
He doesn't know the story will get him 150M+ bookings
Airbnb's rapid growth makes edge cases more common
Founder, Brian Chesky, is terrified Airbnb will burst
He reads Walt Disney's biography to ease his mind
He doesn't know the story will get him 150M+ bookings
Snow White was Disney’s first full-length film.
If Snow White failed, Disney failed.
So Walt used a method to ensure success:
Storyboarding.
He visually mapped each moment of the story to nail the impact
Just like how moments of an Airbnb experience needs to fit together...
If Snow White failed, Disney failed.
So Walt used a method to ensure success:
Storyboarding.
He visually mapped each moment of the story to nail the impact
Just like how moments of an Airbnb experience needs to fit together...
So Brian gets the leadership team in 1 room
They piece together each moment a customer interacts with Airbnb
They find the product isn't just the app:
It's also the offline experience!
So they build features to improve the entire customer journey
Moments they ignored before:
They piece together each moment a customer interacts with Airbnb
They find the product isn't just the app:
It's also the offline experience!
So they build features to improve the entire customer journey
Moments they ignored before:
They sit with customers while they go through the entire experience:
• Planning a trip (with a friend)
• Getting the wifi password
• Getting the keys
They make the entire offline experience seamless.
And...
• Planning a trip (with a friend)
• Getting the wifi password
• Getting the keys
They make the entire offline experience seamless.
And...
It works.
The shift in customer experience starts creating raving fans.
Airbnb takes off.
Over 150M people use Airbnb today.
So how can you build a raving customer base on exceptional experience?
The shift in customer experience starts creating raving fans.
Airbnb takes off.
Over 150M people use Airbnb today.
So how can you build a raving customer base on exceptional experience?
Here’s your first steps to create a customer experience that they crave:
4 steps:
1/ List moments customers interact with you
2/ List customer motivations
3/ Write stories explaining customer experience
4/ Build ways to make it better
👇
4 steps:
1/ List moments customers interact with you
2/ List customer motivations
3/ Write stories explaining customer experience
4/ Build ways to make it better
👇
1/ List moments customers interact with you
Start at the moment a customer hears about your business.
Then, write each moment until the last interaction with your business
Steal the examples in the image below to get you started.
Start at the moment a customer hears about your business.
Then, write each moment until the last interaction with your business
Steal the examples in the image below to get you started.
Airbnb had 45 moments and across 2 journeys:
• The user
• The host
Example Airbnb moments:
• Planning a trip (with a friend)
• Lead up contact with host
• Getting the wifi password
• Selecting & booking
• Getting the keys
• Search & find
Airbnb moments below
• The user
• The host
Example Airbnb moments:
• Planning a trip (with a friend)
• Lead up contact with host
• Getting the wifi password
• Selecting & booking
• Getting the keys
• Search & find
Airbnb moments below
2/ List customer motivations
Set up time with your customers to find out who they are and what they need.
Brian Chesky shared the questions he likes to find out about his customers (steal these):
Set up time with your customers to find out who they are and what they need.
Brian Chesky shared the questions he likes to find out about his customers (steal these):
3/ Write stories explaining customer experience
Next, turn your answers into a story that explains the current experience.
Goal is to find areas to improve and build experience customers crave.
Here's a made-up example from the Airbnb "Selecting & booking" moment:
Next, turn your answers into a story that explains the current experience.
Goal is to find areas to improve and build experience customers crave.
Here's a made-up example from the Airbnb "Selecting & booking" moment:
4/ Build ways to make the experience better
You'll find the pain points, and come up with potential solutions.
Example pain points from the story in the previous tweet:
• Not sure where is best to book
• Fear of being judged
• Too many tabs open
You'll find the pain points, and come up with potential solutions.
Example pain points from the story in the previous tweet:
• Not sure where is best to book
• Fear of being judged
• Too many tabs open
Now come up with ways your business can ease the pain
Solutions include:
• Make it easier for the customer to reach their goal
• Ease emotional fears
• Remove friction
Now, if brainstorming isn't your thing, steal this framework:
brianfoconnor.beehiiv.com/p/100m-product-ideas
Solutions include:
• Make it easier for the customer to reach their goal
• Ease emotional fears
• Remove friction
Now, if brainstorming isn't your thing, steal this framework:
brianfoconnor.beehiiv.com/p/100m-product-ideas
Okay great.
You have a list of ideas you want to work on to give your customers an experience they'll crave.
Choose the ideas you want to build first.
Rank your ideas based on which have the highest impact for the lowest cost.
Airbnb projects in the image below 👇
You have a list of ideas you want to work on to give your customers an experience they'll crave.
Choose the ideas you want to build first.
Rank your ideas based on which have the highest impact for the lowest cost.
Airbnb projects in the image below 👇
Recap:
• List moments customers interact with you
• List customer motivations
• Write stories explaining customer experience
• Build ways to make it better
• List moments customers interact with you
• List customer motivations
• Write stories explaining customer experience
• Build ways to make it better
That's a wrap!
If you found this thread valuable:
1. Give me a follow to grow your business → @BrianFOConnor
2. Jump back to the top tweet to like and retweet it
That way you (& others) can find it later
Here's the link to go back to the top:
If you found this thread valuable:
1. Give me a follow to grow your business → @BrianFOConnor
2. Jump back to the top tweet to like and retweet it
That way you (& others) can find it later
Here's the link to go back to the top:
Join 11,763+ founders & business owners to get weekly tips to grow your business.
Join here for $0:
brianfoconnor.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Join here for $0:
brianfoconnor.beehiiv.com/subscribe
