Plan Facebook's Entry Into Food Ordering and Delivery: Model, Users and Launch
Company: Meta
Role: Product Manager
Category: Product Design & Strategy
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Other
You are a product manager at Meta. Facebook wants to enter the food delivery business, and you are asked how you would go about it. Explain why the move could make sense for Facebook, which part of the business Facebook should own, who the product serves, what you would launch first and how you would bring it to market, and how you would judge whether it is working.
```hint Find the role only Facebook can play
Delivery is a crowded, low-margin market with entrenched leaders. Before designing screens, decide which link in the chain (discovering a restaurant, placing the order, paying, or getting the food to the door) Facebook's existing assets give it an edge in, and which links it should leave to partners.
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### Clarifying Questions
- Does "food delivery" mean restaurant meals, groceries, or both?
- Is Facebook expected to run its own courier fleet, or can it rely on restaurants' own drivers and existing delivery partners?
- What is the main objective: a new revenue line, more value for the restaurants that already use Facebook, or more commerce and engagement inside Meta's apps?
- Which market should launch first, and must the product live only in the Facebook app or can it also use Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp?
### What a Strong Answer Covers
- A clear reason for Facebook to enter, tied to its assets and business model, with an honest view of the competition and the economics of delivery.
- A choice of where Facebook sits in the value chain and how it makes money, weighed against alternatives such as building a courier network or acquiring an existing player.
- The needs of diners, restaurants and couriers, and a focused first version built around the side chosen first.
- A launch plan that solves the cold start of a local, multi-sided marketplace.
- Success metrics with guardrails on order quality and support, plus the main risks.
### Follow-up Questions
- Why would a restaurant that already sells through the major delivery apps also take orders through Facebook?
- A leading delivery app answers your launch by cutting commissions for restaurants in your launch cities. What do you do?
- What would you need to see before expanding beyond the first cities?
Overview: A product strategy prompt asking how Facebook should enter the food delivery market. It tests whether a PM can justify the move, decide where Facebook fits among ordering, payments and courier logistics, serve diners, restaurants and couriers, plan a local launch, and set success metrics with order-quality guardrails.