Main Takeaways: - Understanding the importance of product localization - Understanding the complexities of product localization - Acquiring an appreciation of "good localization"

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6. JULIAN LEUNG | 2020-05-15
Lessons of Product
Localization from
Airbnb

7. Hi! I’m Julian!
A little bit about me
● Have been working as a Digital
Product Manager for the past 7+ years
● Currently working in Shanghai as
GOAT’s Country Director for the China
Market
● Have previously studied and worked
in Hong Kong, USA, Singapore, and
now Mainland China.
● First Product Manager at Airbnb,
WeWork, and GOAT in APAC
● One of first two Localization Managers
at Airbnb

8. Hi! I’m Julian!
Products that I’ve worked on:
● Airbnb | Airbnb.com and Airbnb App (Global)
● Airbnb | Airbnb.cn and Airbnb App (China)
● WeWork | WeWork.cn (China)
● WeWork | WeWork Member App (China)
● WeWork | Customized Member-Facing
WeChat Mini Program for Enterprises (China)
● WeWork | Tour Booking WeChat Mini
Program (China)
● GOAT | GOAT App (Global)
● GOAT | WeChat Mini Program (China)

9. “Lessons of Product Localization from Airbnb”
Key Takeaways
● Product localization is very important.
● Translation is a key aspect of localization.
● Translation is very difficult to do well.
● Localization is much more than just translation.
● Let’s acquire an appreciation for good localization.

10. What does “Airbnb” stand for?

13. ● 500 million guest arrivals
● 2 million guests per night
● 6 million listings
● 191 countries/regions and 100K cities
● $65 billion earned by hosts
The Scale of Airbnb
2007 to 2019

14. Why is localization important
for Airbnb (back in 2015)?

18. What is the scale of translation at
Airbnb (back in the day)?

22. What makes translation at Airbnb
difficult (back in the day)?

23. The Challenges of Translation
2012 - 2016
● The sheer volume and diversity of content to be translated
● Prioritization of what needs to be translated first
● Helping freelance translators understand the proper context
● Direct translations are often odd-sounding and unnatural
● Proper quality assurance is very time consuming
● Requires much collaboration with Product and Engineering
● Balancing Speed vs. Quality and Consistency

27. Genius

40. https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/launching-airbnb-jp-in-record-time-52f8b0af965d

41. https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/launching-airbnb-jp-in-record-time-52f8b0af965d

43. What does bad localization
look like?

52. Translation Beyond Just Texts
Examples
● Font Size, Line Breaks and UI Fit
● Context, Relevance, and Tone of Voice
● Date and Number Formats
● Currency
● Phone Numbers and Email Addresses
● Screenshots, Icons, Logos, Illustrations, Videos
● Local Laws and Regulations

53. What does better localization
look like?

77. “Lessons of Product Localization from Airbnb”
Key Takeaways
● Product localization is very important.
● Translation is a key aspect of localization.
● Translation is very difficult to do well.
● Localization is much more than just translation.
● Let’s acquire an appreciation for good localization.

78. Localization is also much more than
just content localization

80. www.productschool.com
Part-time Product Management Training Courses
and
Corporate Training