Invent a Social Product From Scratch: Need, Users, First Version and Metrics
Company: Meta
Role: Product Manager
Category: Product Design & Strategy
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Other
Come up with a new social media product. Decide who it is for and which social need it meets for them, describe what the first version does, and explain how you would know it is working.
```hint Start from a need, not a format
Before choosing a format such as video, audio or chat, name a social need that today's apps serve poorly and who feels it most, then ask why the existing products have not solved it.
```
### Clarifying Questions
- Is this a new product for Meta to launch next to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, or a stand-alone startup idea?
- Does it have to be a separate app, or could it start as a feature inside an existing Meta app?
- What should it optimize for: reaching people Meta's apps do not serve well today, deeper connection among existing users, or a new revenue line?
- Is any platform in or out of scope, such as virtual-reality headsets or smart glasses?
### What a Strong Answer Covers
- A goal for the product, and a reason a new product, rather than a change to an existing app, is the right vehicle
- Candidate segments and unmet social needs compared, with one chosen and the reason
- Evidence of why current social products fall short for that need
- A tightly scoped first version, with a plan for the cold-start problem
- A primary metric with guardrails, plus the main risks (safety, privacy, cannibalization of existing apps) and their mitigations
### Follow-up Questions
- How would you keep early users engaged before their friends join?
- What results after six months would make you shut the product down?
- If the first version works for its first community, what has to change to grow it tenfold?
Overview: A product sense question that asks you to invent a new social media product. It tests whether you can identify an unmet social need, choose a target segment, justify a new product over a feature, scope a first version that solves the cold-start problem, and define metrics, guardrails and risks.