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@qiqing: Are you willing to tell us a bit about the screening process? I'm curious about what worked, what didn't, what traits you learned to avoid etc..

by sequoia 14y ago

jocelynscrayons 14y ago
Our first screening is through AirBnb. AirBnb is linked with Facebook, so it's easy to see if you have friends in common with the person who has messaged you. We also look at all the references the messager has already gotten through other travels. Those with the most get highest priority. We also give preference to references from friends, and from those who have stayed with us previously. The second screening is e-mail contact. If e-mail contact seems friendly and they have an interesting story to tell, about work, and projects and interests, then they are in. Extra points for bakers and chefs. Occasionally we'll have an egotistic and self entitled guest, but everyone is mostly awesome. We have never had to evict anyone based on bad behavior.
qiqing 14y ago
It's mostly about cultural fit, which is more of an intuitive process for me. I wasn't selecting based on how well they pitched their companies but in their messages, if they seem like the kind of people I would prefer to live with. That is, if they're nerdy enough to enjoy watching Star Trek or Firefly with us, and conscientious enough (and enough of a team player) to clean up their own dishes. And weren't too "normal." Extra points for being excited about math and science, especially if it's not related to their current enterprise. People who try to be pushy via Airbnb messages, or are interested in only price (and not the hacker community) are generally not accepted. (Funny how it's MBAs and nontechnical people who see the least value in being part of a hacker community.) Also, people who aren't conscientious while they're with us have a lower probability of being accepted back, but fortunately, those are few and far between.

@qiqing: Are you willing to tell us a bit about the screening process? I'm curious about what worked, what didn't, what traits you learned to avoid etc..

by sequoia 14y ago

@qiqing: Are you willing to tell us a bit about the screening process? I'm curious about what worked, what didn't, what traits you learned to avoid etc..

jocelynscrayons 14y ago

Our first screening is through AirBnb. AirBnb is linked with Facebook, so it's easy to see if you have friends in common with the person who has messaged you. We also look at all the references the messager has already gotten through other travels. Those with the most get highest priority. We also give preference to references from friends, and from those who have stayed with us previously. The second screening is e-mail contact. If e-mail contact seems friendly and they have an interesting story to tell, about work, and projects and interests, then they are in. Extra points for bakers and chefs. Occasionally we'll have an egotistic and self entitled guest, but everyone is mostly awesome. We have never had to evict anyone based on bad behavior.

qiqing 14y ago

It's mostly about cultural fit, which is more of an intuitive process for me. I wasn't selecting based on how well they pitched their companies but in their messages, if they seem like the kind of people I would prefer to live with. That is, if they're nerdy enough to enjoy watching Star Trek or Firefly with us, and conscientious enough (and enough of a team player) to clean up their own dishes. And weren't too "normal." Extra points for being excited about math and science, especially if it's not related to their current enterprise. People who try to be pushy via Airbnb messages, or are interested in only price (and not the hacker community) are generally not accepted. (Funny how it's MBAs and nontechnical people who see the least value in being part of a hacker community.) Also, people who aren't conscientious while they're with us have a lower probability of being accepted back, but fortunately, those are few and far between.