Spotify vs. TikTok: Go/No-Go Call on a Short Vertical Video Feed

Spotify is considering a feature centered on short videos, with the aim of competing with TikTok. As the product manager asked to advise on the decision, would you build it? Give a recommendation and the reasoning behind it. ```hint Start from Spotify's right to win Ask which user need short video would serve inside Spotify, and what advantage Spotify would bring to it that a dedicated short-video app lacks, before accepting "compete with TikTok" as the goal. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does competing mean winning general entertainment time, or keeping music discovery, which increasingly starts on short-video apps, inside Spotify? - Would the videos come from any user, or only from artists and podcasters already on Spotify? - What time horizon and level of investment should the decision assume? - Is there a measured problem behind the idea, such as younger listeners discovering music elsewhere, or is it an opportunity being explored? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A clear recommendation with conditions, not an open-ended "it depends" - What competing would mean, and Spotify's assets (catalog, listening data, artist relationships) set against TikTok's creator base and recommendation flywheel - The users, creators and need a short-video feature would serve inside Spotify - Costs and risks: displacing listening, music rights for video, moderation, creator supply, and fit with how people use Spotify - How a scoped version would be tested, and which results would expand it or shut it down ### Follow-up Questions - If a short-video feed increased daily app opens but reduced listening minutes, would you keep it? - How would you get enough videos into the feed on day one without an existing creator community? - What evidence would make you recommend a full TikTok-style product after all?