Product Design: Helping People Find and Hire Contractors Through Meta's Apps

You are a product manager at Meta. Design a product that helps people who need to hire a contractor. Explain which hiring situations and users you would focus on, what problems they face today, what the product does and why Meta is well placed to build it, what the first version includes, and how you would measure whether it works. ```hint Start from what makes hiring stressful Walk through how someone hires a contractor today, from finding one to paying, and mark the steps where people feel least confident. Then ask which of those steps Meta can improve better than a search engine or a review directory, given what it knows about people's networks and local communities. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does "contractor" mean home repair and renovation trades, such as plumbers, electricians and builders, or independent freelancers hired for work such as design or software? - Should the product live inside Facebook, for example in Marketplace or Groups, can it span WhatsApp and Instagram, or should it be a new app? - Is the goal engagement, revenue from small businesses, or user trust, and which country comes first? - Will Meta handle payment and stand behind the work, or only connect people with contractors? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A chosen meaning of "contractor" and a focused segment of hirers, with reasons - Pain points across the hiring journey: finding, vetting, getting quotes, scheduling, paying and resolving problems - A solution built on Meta-specific assets (friends' experiences, local Groups, business Pages and messaging), with prioritized scope - The contractor side of the marketplace: why contractors would join and how to avoid a cold start - Success metrics with guardrails for scams, spam and safety ### Follow-up Questions - How would you stop scammers posing as contractors, especially right after storms or other disasters? - A contractor disputes a negative review from a homeowner. What does the product do? - Would you charge contractors, hirers or neither in the first year, and why?