Assess Meta's Case for a Lending Feature Inside Facebook
Company: Meta
Role: Product Manager
Category: Product Design & Strategy
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Other
Should Facebook build a product that lets people borrow and lend money? Make a recommendation and defend it.
```hint Settle the shape first
The answer depends heavily on who supplies the money and who carries the risk if it is not repaid. Decide which version you are evaluating before you weigh it.
```
### Clarifying Questions
- Is the idea lending between people who already know each other, a marketplace that connects strangers, or Facebook working with licensed lenders?
- Which markets are in scope, given that lending rules differ by country and, in the US, by state?
- Would Facebook fund or guarantee loans, or only provide the tools, and would it earn interest or fees?
- Is the main aim user value and engagement, a new revenue line, or strengthening Meta's payments business?
### What a Strong Answer Covers
- Defining the possible versions of the product and choosing which to evaluate
- The real user problem and how people borrow and lend today
- Fit with Meta's mission and assets, and where Meta is weak
- Risks: regulation, fraud and scams, defaults that strain relationships, and trust in Meta with money
- A clear recommendation backed by a test plan, success metrics and conditions for stopping
### Follow-up Questions
- What result from a pilot would make you reverse your recommendation?
- Should Facebook use people's social connections to judge whether they are likely to repay? Why or why not?
- A borrower stops repaying a friend. What, if anything, should the product do?
Overview: A product strategy question asking whether Facebook should launch a product for borrowing and lending money. It tests scoping the possible versions, weighing user need and Meta's strengths against regulation, fraud and trust risks, and committing to a recommendation with metrics.