Deciding Whether Instagram Should Expand Into Travel

Instagram is considering a product for travel. Would you build one? Make a recommendation and defend it. If you would build, describe what the product is, who it serves, and how you would test it before committing. ```hint Find where Instagram has a right to win Before sketching features, walk through the stages of a trip and ask where Instagram already plays a role, where travelers leave Instagram for other apps, and what Instagram has that those apps lack. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does "travel product" mean anything across a trip, from inspiration and planning to booking, the trip itself and sharing afterward, or does the interviewer have a specific piece in mind? - Is the main objective engagement, a new revenue stream, or more value for creators and businesses on Instagram? - Is building with outside partners, such as booking sites, hotels or airlines, an option, or only what Instagram builds itself? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A clear recommendation, stated early, with the conditions that would reverse it - An assessment of fit: Instagram's relevant assets and user behavior, Meta's goals, and how well existing travel products already serve each need - A chosen user segment and the specific trip problem the product solves for them - A concrete product concept with a small first version designed to test the riskiest assumption - Success metrics, stop criteria and the main risks, including privacy, safety and the opportunity cost of not investing elsewhere ### Follow-up Questions - What early result would make you stop the project? - Would you handle bookings inside the product or send users to partners, and why? - How would the product make money without making the main feed feel like an ad?