From Zero to Scale: Lessons from Airbnb and Beyond
Welcome to our first edition of Delphina’s newsletter in 2025!
This week, we’re proud to share a new episode of High Signal featuring Elena Grewal, former Head of Data Science at Airbnb, professor at Yale, and small business owner. Elena discusses how she built machine learning platforms and analytics systems that scaled globally—while also applying data-driven approaches in unexpected ways, including her small business.
Scaling Data Science Across Contexts
In the latest episode of High Signal, Elena dives into topics including:
Why Scaling Too Early Can Backfire
Elena highlights the importance of starting simple with analytics to understand product use and identify blockers early—before committing to overly complex systems.
When to Invest in Machine Learning
Drawing from Airbnb’s fraud prevention systems as a case study, Elena explains how to identify the right moment to adopt ML for maximum impact.
Experimentation That Drives Results
From her work at Airbnb to her New Haven ice cream shop, Elena shows how quick, iterative experiments can generate actionable insights and improve decision-making.
🎬 Watch the clip where Elena discusses how analytics and experimentation informed both large-scale machine learning systems and small business strategies.
Listen to the full episode or find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Catch Up on High Signal
If you missed last week’s episode with with Chris Wiggins (Chief Data Scientist, The New York Times), check it out!