Facebook at the Olympic Games: Choose an Audience, Build a First Version, Set Metrics

Facebook wants to launch a product built around the Olympic Games. As its product manager, design it: decide whom it serves and which problem it solves, describe what the first version would include and explain how you would judge whether it worked. ```hint Start from Facebook's edge Broadcasters and sports apps already cover video and scores. Ask what Facebook has that they lack, and which group of people following the Games would gain the most from it. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Is this for an upcoming Summer or Winter Games, and is it a global launch or limited to certain countries? - Does Facebook hold any rights to live event video or official results data, or will it rely on clips that rights holders post and on what users share? - Is the goal community and engagement, revenue from sponsors and advertisers, or something else? - Should the design stay inside the main Facebook app, or can it also use Messenger? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A clear goal tied to Facebook's mission, and a reason Facebook should build this instead of leaving the Games to broadcasters and sports apps - A segmentation of the Games' audiences (for example fans of a country, a sport or an athlete, casual viewers, athletes, sponsors) and a justified choice of one - Pain points specific to the chosen group, turned into a prioritized first version that works within the content rights available and ships before the Games begin - Success metrics for an event lasting about two weeks, including what should last after it ends, with guardrails - Risks of a global, emotional, high-traffic event and how the design handles them ### Follow-up Questions - The Games last about two weeks. Which parts of the product should outlive the closing ceremony, and how would you judge the investment afterward? - Many people watch events on delay. How would the product protect them from learning results in their feed and notifications too early? - After a loss, athletes can be flooded with abusive comments. How would your design reduce that?