The article title is a lot of clickbait, but the core user-need driven approach to building features should resonate with most builder audiences on this site. Honestly, I'm really not sure what the product team was doing if they weren't noticing these issues coming up over and over and over again in user feedback. Anyone who stays in Airbnbs 10 times will encounter at least one or two of these core issues across their stays (crazy cleaning fees, additional contracts needing to be signed after booking, weird and extensive checkout steps).

For the last 2-3 years Airbnb has publicly announced a set of improvements on the platform. Yes, these should have been fixed ages ago, but I commend Chesky and the Airbnb team for actually taking action.

Price transparency, visibility of check-out steps beforehand, improvement around single rooms (true OG Air Bed and Breakfast style) are welcome steps and, in my humble opinion, I think Airbnb should continue to pivot away from hotels (standardized boring experiences) and lean into the uniqueness of each room/home.