You're the PM for Facebook Newsfeed. How would you decide whether or not to auto-play videos or make the videos click-to-play.

Introduction

The decision to auto-play videos or make them click-to-play in Facebook's Newsfeed is a critical product trade-off that could significantly impact user experience, engagement, and revenue. This scenario involves balancing user preferences, content consumption patterns, and advertiser interests. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining key metrics, designing experiments, and providing a data-driven recommendation.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• What's the current video playback behavior in the Newsfeed?

• Why it matters: Establishes the baseline for comparison
• Hypothetical answer: Currently, videos are click-to-play
• Impact: Helps frame the potential change and its effects

• What percentage of Newsfeed content is video?

• Why it matters: Indicates the scale of impact this decision will have
• Hypothetical answer: 30% of Newsfeed content is video
• Impact: A higher percentage would make this decision more critical

• How does video content monetization differ from static content?

• Why it matters: Helps understand revenue implications
• Hypothetical answer: Video ads generate 2x more revenue than static ads
• Impact: Could influence the decision if auto-play significantly increases video ad views

• What's the current average watch time for Newsfeed videos?

• Why it matters: Provides a baseline for engagement
• Hypothetical answer: Average watch time is 10 seconds
• Impact: Low watch times might suggest users aren't engaging with videos, influencing the auto-play decision

• Are there any technical limitations to consider for auto-play?

• Why it matters: Ensures the solution is feasible
• Hypothetical answer: Auto-play requires more bandwidth and could impact app performance
• Impact: Might limit auto-play implementation on certain devices or networks