Instacart home screen redesign: pick a customer segment and prioritize improvements

You are interviewing for a product manager role at Instacart. How would you make the home screen of the Instacart app better? Decide who you are improving it for, explain what does not work well for them today, propose changes and choose what to build first, and say how you would know the changes worked. ```hint Start from why people open the app Customers land on the home screen with different jobs in mind, such as a routine weekly restock, a few forgotten items needed within the hour, or a first order. Judge every element of the screen by whether it helps the job you choose to serve. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Is this the customer app used to place grocery orders, or the app shoppers use to pick and deliver orders? - Is there a business goal behind the request, such as more orders from existing customers, larger baskets or better first-order conversion, or is choosing the goal part of the task? - Which platforms and markets are in scope: the iOS and Android apps in the US and Canada, or the website as well? - What has to stay on the screen, such as retailer placement commitments or sponsored product slots that fund the business? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A goal for the home screen tied to Instacart's business and to the screen's role in starting an order. - A segmentation of customers by why they open the app, with a reasoned choice of one segment. - Concrete pain points in how that segment starts and fills an order from the home screen. - Prioritized changes with a focused first release, weighing impact, effort and the effect on retailers and advertising. - Success metrics with guardrails, and a test design suited to how often customers order. ### Follow-up Questions - Sponsored products and retailer promotions earn revenue and take space on the home screen. How do you decide how much of the screen they get after your redesign? - Most customers order every week or two. How would you design and read an A/B test of the new home screen? - How should the home screen differ for someone who has never placed an order?