Why has EvenUp's bill-splitting feature seen a 30% drop in daily active users over the past week?

Introduction

EvenUp's bill-splitting feature has experienced a significant 30% drop in daily active users over the past week, indicating a critical issue that requires immediate attention. To address this problem, I'll employ a systematic approach to identify, validate, and resolve the root cause while considering both short-term fixes and long-term implications for the product.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the sudden drop, I'm thinking there might be a recent change. Has there been any product update or feature release in the past 1-2 weeks?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with sudden metric shifts. Expected answer: Yes, a minor UI update was released. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd focus on the update's impact; if no, we'd look at external factors or gradual user behavior changes.

• Considering user segments, I'm curious about the distribution. Is the 30% drop uniform across all user groups, or is it more pronounced in specific segments?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is global or segment-specific. Expected answer: The drop is more significant among newer users. Impact on approach: A skewed distribution would lead us to investigate segment-specific factors.

• Given the feature's nature, I'm wondering about seasonal patterns. Is this drop unusual compared to historical data for this time of year?

Why it matters: Rules out normal seasonal fluctuations. Expected answer: This drop is abnormal for the season. Impact on approach: If seasonal, we'd focus on optimizing for the pattern; if not, we'd investigate recent changes or external factors.

• Thinking about potential technical issues, have there been any reported server outages or performance degradations in the past week?

Why it matters: Technical issues can directly impact user engagement. Expected answer: No major outages, but some intermittent slowdowns were reported. Impact on approach: Significant technical issues would shift our focus to infrastructure and performance optimization.