Picking Spotify's Next Major Product Bet as Its Product Leader

Imagine you lead product for all of Spotify. What would you build, and why? Choose the opportunity you would invest in, explain why it beats the alternatives, describe what you would build, and say how you would judge whether it worked. ```hint Start with the business, then the product At this level the interviewer wants to hear where Spotify is strong or exposed (who pays, what its largest costs are, where competitors press hardest) before any feature. Pick the problem that matters most, then the product that addresses it. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Is the objective user growth, more paying subscribers, better margins, or mine to choose? - How long should the bet take to pay off: within a year, or over several years? - Are all content types in scope (music, podcasts, audiobooks), and both listeners and creators? - Must the idea work within Spotify's current agreements with record labels and other rights holders? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A read of Spotify's strategic position (strengths, threats and economics) that justifies one objective - A chosen segment among listeners, artists and other creators, with concrete unmet needs - A specific product bet compared against credible alternatives, with a reason it wins - Success metrics tied to the objective, with guardrails for listener experience, creators and content costs - Risks such as licensing limits, larger competitors copying the idea, and cannibalizing existing revenue ### Follow-up Questions - Apple, Amazon and YouTube could copy your idea quickly. What keeps it defensible? - What would you cut first if you had far fewer engineers than planned? - How would your answer change if the board asked for profitability ahead of growth?