Judging Launch Success for Video Posting and Viewing on Instagram

Instagram has just launched video, so people can now post and watch videos as well as photos. You are the product manager. How would you know whether the launch is a success? ```hint Before and after the novelty In the first weeks people try anything new. Think about what has to be true for video to matter once the novelty wears off, for the people posting and for the people watching, and what it might take away from photos. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Did video launch to every user at once, or to some markets or a test group, leaving a holdout to compare against? - Where does video appear: in the main feed, in stories, or both? - How are videos made and how long can they be: recorded in the app, uploaded from the camera roll, or both? - Are we judging the first few weeks after launch, or the longer-term effect on engagement and retention? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A launch goal tied to why Instagram added video, treating the people who post videos and the people who watch them as separate sides. - A funnel from discovery to trial to repeat use, with defined metrics and a primary metric chosen with a reason. - A baseline to compare against (photos, pre-launch trends or a holdout), and a way to tell real growth from photos simply turning into videos. - Guardrails for overall app health, content safety and technical performance. - How the metric set changes from launch weeks to steady state, and what result would mean the launch failed. ### Follow-up Questions - Video posts are growing quickly, but total posts per user are flat. Is the launch working? - How would you measure success if everyone got video on the same day with no holdout? - People who post videos love the feature, but viewers skip most videos. What do you look at next?