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Airbnb

5 months I

Product Strategy Consultant I

Spring25

Working with five other student consultants as contract work with the Berkeley Business Society, we primarily worked with Airbnb's Risk and Compliance Team. We explored the possibility of entering the Payments-as-a-Service (PaaS) industry by white-labeling Airbnb's current internal payment processing system.

My team mates: Vidhi Chellani, Aditya Jain, Cornellius Suhartono, Tina Su, Anjali Garg, Devin Fitzpatrick, Anish Gupta

Optigenix

The Problem:

Although Airbnb had developed a sophisticated internal payments system, it had never been marketed as a B2B product outside its platform. The client’s main ask was to evaluate whether this infrastructure could be competitively positioned in the broader PaaS market, and to uncover which industries and customer segments would generate the highest revenue potential.

Final Deliverable!

Our final deliverable took place at Airbnb's headquarters located in San Francisco. Presenting our research to the Director of Payments was an incredibly gratifying experience!

My consulting team (I'm

pictured on the 4th to the right)

Gained an in-depth understanding of why other businesses might seek payment solutions, including the main marketable PaaS benefits and key PaaS considerations for businesses.
Researched and determined 4 attractive B2B PaaS markets Airbnb might be interested in pursuing, and what exact Airbnb payment capabilities would fit market needs.
Explored B2B vertical of on-demand & delivery services, interviewing business owners to determine the industry's highest pain points and sample SMB clients.
Developed a deep understanding of Airbnb's internal payment structure and main payment capabilities, in conjunction with main industry payment pain points.
Gained an in-depth understanding of why other businesses might seek payment solutions, including the main marketable PaaS benefits and key PaaS considerations for businesses.
Researched and determined 4 attractive B2B PaaS markets Airbnb might be interested in pursuing, and what exact Airbnb payment capabilities would fit market needs.
Explored B2B vertical of on-demand & delivery services, interviewing business owners to determine the industry's highest pain points and sample SMB clients.
Developed a deep understanding of Airbnb's internal payment structure and main payment capabilities, in conjunction with main industry payment pain points.
Gained an in-depth understanding of why other businesses might seek payment solutions, including the main marketable PaaS benefits and key PaaS considerations for businesses.
Researched and determined 4 attractive B2B PaaS markets Airbnb might be interested in pursuing, and what exact Airbnb payment capabilities would fit market needs.
Explored B2B vertical of on-demand & delivery services, interviewing business owners to determine the industry's highest pain points and sample SMB clients.
Developed a deep understanding of Airbnb's internal payment structure and main payment capabilities, in conjunction with main industry payment pain points.
Gained an in-depth understanding of why other businesses might seek payment solutions, including the main marketable PaaS benefits and key PaaS considerations for businesses.
Researched and determined 4 attractive B2B PaaS markets Airbnb might be interested in pursuing, and what exact Airbnb payment capabilities would fit market needs.
Explored B2B vertical of on-demand & delivery services, interviewing business owners to determine the industry's highest pain points and sample SMB clients.
Developed a deep understanding of Airbnb's internal payment structure and main payment capabilities, in conjunction with main industry payment pain points.

Research Decks:

Our Research Methodology:

Have a thorough understanding of the industry's competitive landscape, by answering:

What payment processing systems do our competitors sell, and how might Airbnb's compare?

Who are the main industry leaders within 1) compliance 2) risk 3) licensing, and 4) treasury solutions?

Clearly differentiate the industry's main B2B verticals via tangible metrics, by answering:

What current verticals are experiencing the highest need and market growth for payment processing solutions?

How can we differentiate the main payment needs within these 5 industries? 1) Vacation Rental Companies 2) Online airline booking 3) Hotel booking platforms 4) Delivery Services 5) Manufacturing

Determine and recommend to Airbnb which B2B vertical they should pursue, by answering:

How can we use predictive revenue models to determine which vertical will allow Airbnb to reach 1) the largest target consumer and 2) the largest revenue potential, all with the lowest risk?