Metrics Framework for Judging Whether Facebook's Like Feature Is Succeeding

How would you measure whether Facebook's Like feature is a success? Explain what Likes are meant to achieve, define what success means, and lay out the metrics you would track, making clear which one matters most. ```hint Follow a Like both ways A Like does something for the person who taps it, for the person whose post receives it, and for the systems that decide what people see next. Work out what success means for each of them before you choose numbers. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does "Likes" mean the Like on posts and comments inside Facebook, the Like button that other websites embed, or liking a Page? - Should the other reactions behind the same button (Love, Haha, Sad and the rest) count as part of the feature? - Are we judging the ongoing health of the feature, or whether a specific change to it worked? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A scoped definition of which Like is being measured, and what the feature is for from the giver's, the receiver's and Facebook's point of view - The journeys of giving and receiving a Like, used to locate where measurable behavior happens - One primary metric, precisely defined, with the reason it reflects the feature's purpose - Supporting metrics for adoption, depth and downstream effects, plus guardrails against misuse and harm - How to separate the effect of Likes from the engagement that active users would show anyway ### Follow-up Questions - Likes per user dropped last month while comments rose. How would you work out whether that is a problem? - How would you estimate how much Likes contribute to people posting again and returning to Facebook? - If like counts on posts were hidden from everyone except the author, which of your metrics would you watch, and what would you expect them to do?