Snapchat vs. Instagram and TikTok: Product Changes to Strengthen Its Position

Propose improvements to Snapchat, as it stands today, so that it competes more effectively with Instagram and TikTok. Define what competing means for this exercise, choose which users you are improving it for, propose and prioritize changes, and explain how you would measure success. ```hint Find Snapchat's edge first Contrast why people open Snapchat with why they open Instagram and TikTok, and decide whether your changes should build on something Snapchat already does better or close a gap where it trails. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - What does competing mean here: winning new users, more visits and time from current users, more creators and content, or more ad revenue? - Should we focus on one market or region, or on Snapchat's user base worldwide? - Can we change any part of the app (camera, chat, Stories, the short-video feed, the map), or should we focus on one surface? - Are there limits from Snapchat's privacy-first, disappearing-message identity that the changes must respect? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A clear definition of competing, with a goal and a primary metric that follow from it - An honest comparison of Snapchat with Instagram and TikTok: where it leads and where it trails - User segments compared, with one chosen and the reason - Changes prioritized against explicit criteria, including whether each builds on a Snapchat strength or copies a rival - Guardrails that protect Snapchat's existing core use, and the main risks, including safety for young users, with mitigations ### Follow-up Questions - How would you tell whether a change grew total usage or only moved time from chat to a feed? - If Instagram copied your top idea within months, what advantage would Snapchat keep? - Content shared between friends spreads through their networks: how does that affect the design of your A/B test?