Product sense: a social app that connects people around their religious practice

Design a social networking app for devotees: people for whom religious or spiritual devotion is a regular part of life. Decide whom the app serves first, which of their problems it solves, what goes into the first version, and how you would know it is working. ```hint Start from a week of practice Sketch what a committed devotee does over a typical week, alone and with others, and look for the moments where today's tools leave them disconnected from the people they practice with. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Is the app for one faith tradition, or open to many traditions from launch? - Is it a standalone app, or could it be built on an existing social product such as Facebook Groups? - Who are the primary users: individual devotees, places of worship and their leaders, or both? - Is the goal community and engagement alone, or does the app need a revenue model, for example through donations? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A stated mission and goal for the app, and why devotees need a dedicated social space at all - Segments of devotees and religious institutions compared, with one chosen and justified - Pain points drawn from that segment's religious life, ranked, and features that address them - A prioritized first version, with a plan for the cold start problem - Success metrics with guardrails, and the risks specific to a product built around religious identity ### Follow-up Questions - How would you handle hostility between members of different faiths or sects? - Religious affiliation is sensitive personal information. What would you change in the product because of that? - How would the app make money without feeling commercial to its members?