Scaling beyond one: How Airbnb evolved its data architecture for a multi-product world

This post details the evolution of Airbnb's offline data architecture to support expansion into new product lines (Homes, Experiences, Services). It introduces a framework combining centralized principles with decentralized modeling guidelines to balance consistency and flexibility. Key decisions involved choosing between separate vs. monolithic data models based on product-specific attributes and cross-cutting concepts. Foundational principles include no hybrid models, consistent identifier naming, and clear namespace organization. The framework guides teams to choose separate models for product-specific logic and monolithic models for cross-cutting concepts, ensuring a consistent, scalable, and understandable data foundation.