Product sense: what should Facebook build for restaurants and the people who eat out?

You are a product manager at Facebook, and leadership wants a new product in the restaurant space. Design it: decide whom it serves, which problems it solves, what the first version contains and how you would know it is working. The prompt is deliberately broad. Finding restaurants, booking tables, ordering food, reviewing meals and helping restaurants market themselves are all possible directions, and part of the task is choosing one and defending the choice. ```hint Find Facebook's right to win Review, booking and delivery apps already cover much of the dining journey. Ask what Facebook has that those apps lack, and whether restaurants or diners gain more from it. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Should the product live inside the Facebook app, next to Pages, Groups and Messenger, or ship as a standalone app? - What is the main objective: connecting diners with restaurants, deepening engagement on Facebook, or opening a new revenue line from restaurants? - Is any part of the dining journey out of scope, for example delivery logistics or table reservations? - Which market and which kinds of restaurants should the first version target? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A stated goal tied to Facebook's mission and strengths, with a reasoned choice between serving restaurants, diners or both - Segments of restaurants (fine dining, chains, independents) and of diners (occasions, takeout, groups), and a justified focus - Pain points of the chosen segments and why existing dining apps and plain Facebook Pages leave them unsolved - A prioritized first version that uses Facebook's social assets, the trade-offs behind it, and a plan for the two-sided cold start - Success metrics for both diners and restaurants, with guardrails for privacy, review integrity and the core Facebook experience ### Follow-up Questions - Many restaurants already run a Facebook Page. What would make an owner spend time on your product, and how would you sign up the first restaurants in a city? - Recommendations from friends depend on people sharing where they eat. How do you handle privacy, and what do people with few active friends see? - Later, how would the product make money without making diners doubt that its recommendations are honest?