You are the PM of the Share feature on Facebook. How would you measure the success of this feature?

Introduction

Measuring the success of Facebook's Share feature requires a comprehensive approach that considers multiple stakeholders and aligns with the platform's broader goals. To effectively evaluate this crucial engagement mechanism, I'll follow a structured framework covering core metrics, supporting indicators, and risk factors while considering all key stakeholders.

Step 1

Product Context

The Share feature on Facebook allows users to distribute content from their own feed or external sources to their network. It's a core engagement tool that amplifies content reach and facilitates information spread across the platform.

Key stakeholders include:

1. Users: Seeking to share interesting content and express themselves
2. Content creators: Aiming for wider distribution of their work
3. Advertisers: Interested in organic content spread and viral potential
4. Facebook: Driving engagement and time spent on the platform

User flow:

1. User encounters shareable content
2. Clicks "Share" button
3. Optionally adds commentary
4. Selects audience (e.g., public, friends, specific groups)
5. Posts shared content to their timeline

The Share feature is central to Facebook's strategy of fostering user engagement and content virality. It differentiates from competitors like Twitter's retweet by allowing more customization and targeting of shared content.

Product Lifecycle Stage: Mature, but continually evolving with new content types and sharing options.